DETROIT – The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) announced today that Bonsitu Kitaba-Gaviglio will be its next legal director. With the organization since 2016, and deputy legal director since 2019, Bonsitu has been serving as the organization’s interim legal director since the departure of her predecessor, Dan Korobkin, who was appointed to serve as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals in April.
A nationwide search and extensive interview process preceded the decision to have Kitaba-Gaviglio lead the organization’s premiere legal team.
While at the ACLU, Kitaba-Gaviglio has worked on a wide range of cutting-edge civil rights cases involving reproductive rights, economic justice, racial justice, and free speech, among others. She has litigated cases on behalf of a class of Black homeowners in Detroit who were subjected to illegal tax foreclosures, and Flint residents during the Flint Water Crisis to secure the replacement of all lead pipes in the city. Kitaba-Gaviglio also co-wrote the state constitutional amendment, Reproductive Freedom for All, a voter approved ballot measure that enshrined reproductive rights in the Michigan Constitution in 2022. Her work drafting the amendment and helping to win its passage have made Kitaba-Gaviglio a recognized national leader in the effort to protect and expand reproductive rights.
Kitaba-Gaviglio has frequently been recognized for her exceptional legal advocacy, earning the State Bar of Michigan's 2024 Champion of Justice Award, Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s 2023 Social Justice Award, and Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly 2022 Influential Women of Law award, among others.
A native of Canada and graduate of the University of Toronto, Kitaba-Gaviglio has lived in Detroit since moving here in 2011 to attend Wayne State University Law School. She and her partner have two sons. Outside of work, she does yoga, aerial silks, and spends time with family and friends.
Bonsitu Kitaba-Gaviglio said this about becoming the ACLU of Michigan’s legal director:
“It is the honor of a lifetime to assume the role of Legal Director of the ACLU of Michigan, an organization that has transformed countless lives and been an unwavering guardian of justice. To follow in the footsteps of extraordinary legal directors like Michael Steinberg and Daniel Korobkin—is a privilege and a sacred responsibility.
“Each day, I am driven by a core purpose: to champion the rights of our clients and every person who calls Michigan home. The work ahead will not be easy. The threats to the Constitution and the rights we hold as most fundamental are profound and urgent. Our legal advocacy requires both being nimble in the moment to ensure we are beating back against the attacks on our most fundamental civil rights and liberties while building long-term litigation strategies that reform and dismantle systems of oppression.
“I am fortunate to work alongside a remarkable team whose brilliance, dedication, and shared sense of purpose inspire me constantly. Together, we find strength in our mission and joy in the work itself.
“This moment would not be possible without my parents, whose lives embody the very ideals I now dedicate myself to defending. Coming from distant parts of the world, they built their lives on a foundation of sacrifice, activism, and simple acts of kindness. They showed me that justice is a living practice which demands courage, compassion, and an unshakeable belief in our shared humanity.
“I am ready, and I am deeply honored to lead this exceptional legal team as we defend the rights and freedoms of every person in Michigan.”
Nathan Triplett, ACLU of Michigan board president, said this about Bonsitu Kitaba-Gavligio becoming the organization’s legal director:
“We are extremely excited that Bonsitu has agreed to serve as the ACLU of Michigan’s next legal director. Her skills, as a lawyer and a leader, make her the ideal person to lead our highly effective legal team at a point in history when the need to protect civil liberties and constitutional rights has never been greater. Bonsitu has long been an incredible asset for our organization. We look forward to all that she will accomplish in her new role.”
ACLU of Michigan Executive Director Loren Khogali, said this about the appointment:
“Bonsitu is an exceptional lawyer, leader and person. Her formidable legal skills, steady presence and vision for using the law to ensure that “We the People” means all people, makes her the ideal person to lead the ACLU of Michigan’s highly effective legal team at a time when our calling to protect the civil liberties and rights of the people of Michigan has never been stronger. Bonsitu has long been a valued and respected leader in this organization, and she is exactly the right person to handle this vital job at this crucial time.”
Michael Steinberg, former ACLU of Michigan legal director and current director of the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan Law School, said this:
“I am absolutely thrilled by the Michigan ACLU’s wise decision to appoint Bonsitu as legal director. When I had her as a student at Wayne State University School of Law, and when I worked with her as a young ACLU lawyer, it became obvious that Bonsitu was destined for greatness. Her brilliance, strategic thinking, extraordinary people skills, strong work ethic, commitment to social justice, and legal experience make her the perfect choice to lead one of the very best state ACLU legal departments in the country.”