The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) announced on Nov. 20 that Bonsitu Kitaba-Gaviglio is its new legal director. With the organization since 2016, and deputy legal director since 2019, Bonsitu has been serving as the organization’s interim legal director since the departure of her predecessor, Dan Korobkin, who was appointed to serve as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals in April.
While at the ACLU, Kitaba-Gaviglio has worked on a wide range of cutting-edge civil rights cases involving reproductive rights, economic justice, racial justice, and free speech, among others. She has litigated cases on behalf of a class of Black homeowners in Detroit who were subjected to illegal tax foreclosures, and Flint residents during the Flint Water Crisis to secure the replacement of all lead pipes in the city. Kitaba-Gaviglio also co-wrote the state constitutional amendment, Reproductive Freedom for All, a voter approved ballot measure that enshrined reproductive rights in the Michigan Constitution in 2022. Her work drafting the amendment and helping to win its passage have made Kitaba-Gaviglio a recognized national leader in the effort to protect and expand reproductive rights.
Kitaba-Gaviglio has frequently been recognized for her exceptional legal advocacy, earning the State Bar of Michigan's 2024 Champion of Justice Award, Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s 2023 Social Justice Award, and Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly 2022 Influential Women of Law award, among others.
A native of Canada and graduate of the University of Toronto, Kitaba-Gaviglio has lived in Detroit since moving here in 2011 to attend Wayne State University Law School. She and her partner have two sons. Outside of work, she does yoga, aerial silks, and spends time with family and friends.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to assume the role of Legal Director of the ACLU of Michigan, an organization that has transformed countless lives and been an unwavering guardian of justice,” said Bonsitu Kitaba-Gaviglio. “To follow in the footsteps of extraordinary legal directors like Michael Steinberg and Daniel Korobkin—is a privilege and a sacred responsibility.
“Each day, I am driven by a core purpose: to champion the rights of our clients and every person who calls Michigan home. The work ahead will not be easy. The threats to the Constitution and the rights we hold as most fundamental are profound and urgent. Our legal advocacy requires both being nimble in the moment to ensure we are beating back against the attacks on our most fundamental civil rights and liberties while building long-term litigation strategies that reform and dismantle systems of oppression.
“I am fortunate to work alongside a remarkable team whose brilliance, dedication, and shared sense of purpose inspire me constantly. Together, we find strength in our mission and joy in the work itself.”
While at the ACLU, Kitaba-Gaviglio has worked on a wide range of cutting-edge civil rights cases involving reproductive rights, economic justice, racial justice, and free speech, among others. She has litigated cases on behalf of a class of Black homeowners in Detroit who were subjected to illegal tax foreclosures, and Flint residents during the Flint Water Crisis to secure the replacement of all lead pipes in the city. Kitaba-Gaviglio also co-wrote the state constitutional amendment, Reproductive Freedom for All, a voter approved ballot measure that enshrined reproductive rights in the Michigan Constitution in 2022. Her work drafting the amendment and helping to win its passage have made Kitaba-Gaviglio a recognized national leader in the effort to protect and expand reproductive rights.
Kitaba-Gaviglio has frequently been recognized for her exceptional legal advocacy, earning the State Bar of Michigan's 2024 Champion of Justice Award, Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s 2023 Social Justice Award, and Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly 2022 Influential Women of Law award, among others.
A native of Canada and graduate of the University of Toronto, Kitaba-Gaviglio has lived in Detroit since moving here in 2011 to attend Wayne State University Law School. She and her partner have two sons. Outside of work, she does yoga, aerial silks, and spends time with family and friends.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to assume the role of Legal Director of the ACLU of Michigan, an organization that has transformed countless lives and been an unwavering guardian of justice,” said Bonsitu Kitaba-Gaviglio. “To follow in the footsteps of extraordinary legal directors like Michael Steinberg and Daniel Korobkin—is a privilege and a sacred responsibility.
“Each day, I am driven by a core purpose: to champion the rights of our clients and every person who calls Michigan home. The work ahead will not be easy. The threats to the Constitution and the rights we hold as most fundamental are profound and urgent. Our legal advocacy requires both being nimble in the moment to ensure we are beating back against the attacks on our most fundamental civil rights and liberties while building long-term litigation strategies that reform and dismantle systems of oppression.
“I am fortunate to work alongside a remarkable team whose brilliance, dedication, and shared sense of purpose inspire me constantly. Together, we find strength in our mission and joy in the work itself.”
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