Areva Martin:
The Advocate
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Most notable accomplishment: Cofounded the Special Needs Network to help low-income families with disabled children find services
Home base: L.A., with husband Ernest; daughters Michael, 14, and Morgan, 9; son Marty, 8
Snack food: Trader Joe's trail mix
Favorite TV moms: Lucille Ball, June Cleaver, Clair Huxtable
I started helping families who had children with disabilities in my private law practice. I had no idea that my own son would be diagnosed with autism.
Special needs kids should be with their typical peers to the fullest degree possible.
Life mantra: All problems have a solution, and the solution probably has something to do with a little harder work.
Laura Mercier makeup. MAC lipstick and lip gloss. Metalberry.
I have a very, very, very supportive husband who's very involved with our children.
Target for everything. We love the Mossimo brand that Target carries. I wear it. The kids wear it. We buy cleaning supplies, snacks, toiletries, containers. I love to browse the aisles. I'm a big Target fan.
I was raised in a St. Louis housing project by my grandmother and my godmother. When you live in those communities no one is telling you to dream to be a lawyer. It's like, don't get shot.
My grandmother and my godmother told me that it was more important that I respected them than liked them.
BlackBerry. All day, all night.
I love Christmas and everything that comes with it — the music, food, gifts, the spiritual part. A couple of years ago I had four trees. I start at Thanksgiving and go until New Year's.
If you come to my house in June, we're going to listen to my Luther Vandross Christmas CD. It's Christmas all year round.
I got my image of a lawyer from watching Perry Mason reruns. He was so cool and so cute and I thought, "I want to be that."
Always in the fridge: Nonfat milk, yogurt, eggs, turkey bacon. Tons of turkey bacon.
Marty drawing on the walls drives me crazy because we have worked on this for months in therapy. And just when I think he has moved past it, I find some writing.
Bedside reading: A Bible. Zig Ziglar. Stephen Covey. Marianne Williamson.
My best friend from college and I take a trip every year. We just went to the Wynn Las Vegas. It's way over the top.
Thursday nights by myself. The nail spa. A nice restaurant. A glass of wine.
