Celebration of 50 years of female special agents in the FBI. Kelly Choi from the Houston Field Office. What is the best career or life advice you have been given

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Tricia Maier
Chief Division Counsel
Chicago Field Office

I am the first female chief division counsel for FBI Chicago. Previously, I was associate division counsel and manager  the asset forfeiture program. As a special agent, I worked organized crime, public corruption, white-collar, criminal enterprise, and violent crime. I have also served on the Evidence Response Team.

Share the thing you’re most proud of from your FBI career.

The FBI has allowed me to do many exciting and impactful things in my career. When I started in 1997, I was typing documents as part of the steno pool and going to law school at night. Over the years, I worked my way up to intelligence research specialist, then special agent, taking on a number of collateral duties in the process.

Although I enjoyed every squad, position, and opportunity, I am most proud of my work as associate division counsel and now chief division counsel and being a part of the FBI legal community. I have the privilege of participating and weighing in on all important cases and working with talented employees and law enforcement partners.

In the very beginning of my career, while I was a full-time FBI employee and attending the John Marshall Law School at night, there were many FBI and U.S. Attorney Office employees who supported me during a very hectic time in my life. In particular, I will never forget everyone who encouraged me while I was working on my first high-profile organized crime trial and studying for the Illinois bar exam at the same time. It was well worth all the hours I studied to achieve my goal of completing law school and passing the bar.

Throughout my career, the support and encouragement I have received from my family and the FBI has never wavered and has helped make me who I am today. Now it’s my turn to pay it forward to my family, the FBI, and to the community.