He grew up in Chicago, Illinois. In 1974, Mr. Mika graduated from Lane Technical High School, a Chicago public school having about 8000 students. In 1977, Mr. Mika graduated from Roosevelt University in Chicago with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration after receiving a full academic scholarship. Mr. Mika also graduated from John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1980 and was admitted to the Illinois state bar that year. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Mika relocated to Arizona and was admitted to the Arizona state bar in 1983. Mr. Mika is admitted to the bar in federal district courts in Illinois and Arizona and to the federal Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Ninth Circuits.