The Midwest is known for people with a straightforward, open and no-nonsense style – and in the case of Emily Craiger, one of the incredible women who work for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO). Emily demonstrates her midwestern work ethic regularly as a Practice Group Leader in MCAO’s Civil Services Division where she practices an “open door policy” with her team and thrives on the daily collaboration with other attorneys and administrative staff. MCAO’s Civil Services Division provides legal advice and services for elected County Officials, County Departments and Agencies.
Emily grew up in a small town in Illinois and quickly decided to pursue a legal career. She studied at the University of Wisconsin for an undergraduate degree and then went to the University of Iowa where she earned her law degree. While in law school, Emily externed for a federal judge and got experience working on a discrimination lawsuit, which sparked her interest in pursuing a career in employment law, a specialty that has kept her very busy especially during this time of social distancing, with office closures and teleworking.
She met her husband in law school, and in 2002, they moved to Arizona. She joined MCAO seven years ago after practicing for several years at a boutique employment law firm. Emily is now the Practice Group Leader for the Civil Services Board of Supervisors and County Departments Practice Group. She says she is delighted that she has been able to use her expertise in employment law to move into a management position, “My management style is open and accessible.” She loves the employees she works with, and credits them for the successful and effective work of the Practice Group she manages, “The people I work with have a great deal of experience and knowledge and make successful collaboration possible.”
Emily’s parents are a great source of inspiration. They have always been involved in endeavors that serve the public and Emily takes pride that she has entered a career that enables her to follow the family tradition of serving others.
Some of Emily’s best and most treasured advice is something her mother told her, “Don’t practice worrying. Take it a day at a time and don’t worry until you need to.” While she admits she doesn’t always follow that advice perfectly, she tries. Emily has two children, a 9 and 11-year-old, and her family is busy with all types of activities. They have a fluffy Goldendoodle dog named Goldie, and they love to travel north in the summer to stay cool and explore nature. Always a legal advocate, Emily says, “West Wing” is her favorite show and she still watches episodes in her spare time. She recently started a book club and selected a novel that also keeps her close to the legal world, “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owen.
As one of the many influential and knowledgeable women at the MCAO, we are proud to acknowledge Emily and thank her for her service, not only to the Civil Services Team but the community.