Compassion and kindness toward those in need have always been two major forces in Mikhail “Michael” Acherkan’s life—forces that have driven him to pursue a career in public interest law, assisting those who need it most.

Michael’s family immigrated to the United States from Russia when he was a child. His parents had very little money and could not speak English and had to work extremely hard to support their family in a strange new country. 

This experience taught Michael a valuable lesson about being kind and generous to people in their time of need. 

“One of the things that I was reflecting on recently was how, when you don't have much, your relationships and interactions with people start to mean a lot more. And I've never really forgotten, and my parents have never really forgotten, the people who were kind to us or who helped us out when we needed help. I'll never forget the people who were warm and kind towards us.”

After living in Denver, Colorado until his junior year of high school, Michael and his family moved to Iowa City, where Michael would go on to receive his bachelor’s degree in political science, with a minor in Chinese, from the University of Iowa.

After completing his undergrad, Michael served in the U.S. Army. In 2021, he arrived at his duty station in Qatar just a few days prior to the end of the war in Afghanistan, and in the immediate aftermath, thousands of refugees were being evacuated from the country. 

Michael’s base quickly turned into one big refugee camp, and much of his work while he was deployed centered around supporting Afghan refugees. This experience overseas really strengthened Michael’s convictions about serving those in need, while also granting him some firsthand perspective about the importance of protecting human rights.

“Just the sight of people being treated as though they’re an inconvenience, or somehow different from anybody else affected me quite a bit. What I came away with is this feeling that every person really is equal.”

Michael was always aware that he possibly wanted to pursue a law degree, and the lessons that he learned during his time overseas helped to affirm that conviction. Thus, after four years of U.S. Army service, Michael returned to Iowa City to realize his aspirations at the Iowa College of Law.

 

“I think the law is the best when it works to further the idea that every human being is valuable. Every person is valuable. There isn't anything that can change that.” 

-Michael Acherkan

 

For him, the decision to come to Iowa Law was an easy one. “I just knew I wanted to come home, and Iowa is also a great school, so it was a pretty easy choice for me. I also just love the University of Iowa, and I love Iowa City.”

Michael has found a lot of success at Iowa Law, and he lends credit to the exceptional faculty for fostering a community where J.D. candidates can explore their true interests while receiving a top-notch legal education.

“Whatever your interests are, there's always going to be a faculty member around who's able to provide you advice and support. If there's a particular area of law you want to work on or a particular job you want to do, there's always this reassurance that it is possible with an Iowa Law degree, and that the faculty will help you.”

Michael’s work as Senior Articles Editor for the Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems (TLCP) journal at Iowa Law has provided him an incredible opportunity to combine his interest in human rights with a fulfilling extracurricular experience.

Along with his work for the TLCP, Michael’s 1L summer internship at Iowa Legal Aid in Davenport also helped to reinforce his passion for public interest law. He found the work engaging and fulfilling, and he was inspired by the compassion and kindness that the attorneys showed to each and every client.

“I loved the work, and it was so interesting to see the reality of what it's like to litigate poverty law issues. And you know, I really do think that their impact is immense…in the state of Iowa, they probably provide some of the most support of any organization. I still think about that [experience] quite a bit. I still remember our clients and I hope they're all doing well.”

After his graduation from Iowa Law in the spring of 2025, Michael hopes to work in public interest law, and to continue promoting the ideals that his experiences as a child immigrant and his work with refugees instilled within him: compassion and kindness toward those in need. 

Michael will surely make a massive positive impact in whichever community he chooses to practice law in, and he accredits Iowa Law for granting him the ability to realize his aspiration of practicing law for the betterment of those who need it most.