Gina Chiala is the Executive Director and Staff Attorney for the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom. Gina has years of experience with both social justice campaigns and public interest litigation. Gina began her legal career as a public defender, where she vigorously defended the rights of her clients and gained valuable trial experience. Gina next joined Slough Connealy Irwin & Madden, Kansas City’s oldest and best known public interest law firm. There, Gina represented low-income clients in cases against abusive credit card companies, pay day lenders, finance companies, car dealerships, and debt buyers. Among the cases she tried at Slough Connealy, Gina won a historic victory against Portfolio Recovery Associates, one of the largest debt buyers in the country.
In addition to fighting in the courtroom, Gina has participated in movements to raise the minimum wage, cap payday loan rates, stop evictions, and unionize low-wage workers. Gina started the Heartland Center, believing that lawyers can only win real change when acting in concert with broader movements.
Gina obtained her law degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City in 2006, where she graduated cum laude. She received recognition as a National Member of the Order of Barristers. She also received the Ralph S. Latshaw Award for outstanding studies in criminal law, the National Moot Court Team Competition Award, and awards for excellence in the areas of civil rights, torts, legal writing and constitutional law.
Gina sits on the board of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights.
The UMKC Alumni Association awarded Gina with the Pro Bono Public Service Award of 2018.
The Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City awarded Gina and the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom with the 2017 Public Service award.
The National Consumer Law Center awarded Gina with the Rising Star Award for making a "major contribution to consumer law".
In 2016 Missouri Lawyer's Weekly awarded Gina as the "Plaintiff's Attorney with the largest reported verdicts judgments".
In 2022, Nonprofit Connected awarded the Heartland Center with its Excellence in Impact Award.