Colleen M. Cotter

Education: J.D., Indiana University; bachelor’s degree, University of Notre Dame

First Thing I Do When I Start My Day: I read the news. I think it’s incredibly important to stay connected with my community and the world.

What Motivates Me: I am motivated by a passion for justice. Everyone’s voice should be heard. Connections and money should have no influence on justice. That’s the world I work to create.

My Very First Job and What I Learned From It: My first job was working on houses. My specialty was replacing windows. It was hard work and required patience and a light touch. You can’t force glass to fit; you have to create the space in which it fits and ease it in — a lot of lessons there for life.