When Emily Rutkowski, ’16, was working at Morrison and Foerster’s corporate department in Palo Alto, California, she was a long way from the front lines of war. Her primary focus at the firm was international corporate transactions, but she did have the opportunity to work on a number of pro bono cases—an experience that helped her discover a passion for advocacy that has shaped her decisions ever since.
Rutkowski has followed that instinct to help others through a number of transitions in her career and personal life—including a move to Ukraine to support fundraising and other aid efforts related to the ongoing war.
Navigating career crossroads
Rutkowski majored in international relations and Arabic as an undergraduate at Michigan State University and took a number of international law classes at Michigan Law. Her favorite experience at the Law School was working directly with clients through the International Transactions Clinic, which influenced her decision to join Morrison and Foerster after graduation. At the firm, Rutkowski found the most satisfaction in pro bono projects, including work on asylum cases, voter protection, and immigration naturalization.
Around the same time, her grandmother fell ill, and she left Morrison and Foerster to return to Michigan. While back home, she took on legal contract work online and helped care for her grandmother.
In February 2022, shortly after her grandmother died, the war in Ukraine began. Rutkowski, whose family is Polish and Ukrainian, soon became involved with relief efforts in the Detroit area.
Emily Rutkowski, ’16When the war on Ukraine began, I got involved as soon as possible.
On-the-ground engagement
Rutkowski’s education and experience at a law firm helped her quickly become a valuable member of local volunteer groups working on Ukrainian relief efforts.
“When the war on Ukraine began, I got involved as soon as possible,” she says. “I helped distribute first aid kits, participated in a walkathon, and helped raise funds for their schools.”
Rutkowski worked with the Ukrainian American Crisis Response Committee of Michigan, where she chaired the government advocacy and outreach committee. She helped draft the Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act, which condemned Russia for the kidnapping of Ukrainian children. With the help of US Sen. Gary Peters, Congress passed the resolution in April 2023.
“The resolution helped draw attention to the issue,” says Rutkowski. “I never thought I would draft language for something like that, but it was a great experience.”
In April 2024, former US Rep. David Bonior led a small delegation to Ukraine. Rutkowski helped organize meetings for the group with Ukrainian mental health organizations focused on treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and with organizations training Ukrainian soldiers.
Rutkowski’s commitment to making a tangible impact on the lives and safety of Ukrainian soldiers and citizens led her to move to Ukraine. When she first arrived in Kyiv, she raised funds and led outreach efforts at the International Legion Fund, a nongovernmental organization that operates in Ukraine, and she later began fundraising through her own organization, Misha’s Angels, on social media platforms. Rutkowski’s cat, Misha, who was rescued from a trench on the frontlines of the war, became the face of her fundraising efforts on social media and often accompanies Rutkowski when she is distributing supplies. Rutkowski has raised more than $100,000 to date, which has been used to supply soldiers with protective gear, tourniquets, and other medical and humanitarian aid.
Helping survivors of war
Rutkowski made an unexpected return to the US in summer 2024 when her boyfriend, a US Marine veteran, was wounded while fighting in Ukraine. She is still fundraising through Misha’s Angels and supporting other relief efforts related to the war in Ukraine. She also hopes to pursue a master’s in social work and is particularly interested in the treatment of PTSD through narrative therapy.
Wherever this next chapter takes her, Rutkowski wants to be involved with supporting survivors and veterans of war.
“My dad and uncle were in the Navy during Vietnam,” says Rutkowski. “Growing up, I remember hearing about my dad’s experience as a corpsman. My uncle developed significant health problems as a result of exposure to Agent Orange and had to live in a veteran’s home in Michigan. I want to do what I can to help with the physical and mental healing that needs to happen for veterans and their families after war.”
