Chiara was an associate with French and Lawrence, a private law firm, in Cassopolis, Michigan from 1979 to 1982.

Then in 1999, Ms. Chiara joined the staff of the Office of the Chief Justice at the Michigan Supreme Court as the Policy and Planning Director.

[4] Ms. Chiara was nominated to the position of United States Attorney on September 4, 2001, by President George W. Bush to succeed Michael Dettmer.

On March 23, 2007, the New York Times reported that Chiara was told by a senior Justice Department official that she was being removed to make way for a new attorney that the Bush administration wanted to groom.

She developed an attorney training and mentoring program that now serves as a national model, her office said.