True to her Midwestern roots, attorney Elizabeth Chavez earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She went on to earn her Juris Doctorate (JD) Degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. In Law School, Elizabeth was an active member of Loyola's Mediation Team. She earned a Mediation Certification and acted as a court-appointed mediator in small claims court. She also co-founded the International Dispute Resolution Leadership Council, an international organization created by students and young professionals around the world with the main purpose of promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution and encouraging youth around the world to develop the leadership skills to build a better future. During her 3L year, Elizabeth worked at the Public Defender's office, where she got hands-on experience litigating cases under the supervision of a licensed attorney.
After Law School, Elizabeth quickly joined Foote, Mielke, Chavez & O'Neil, LLC (“œFMCO”). Elizabeth currently manages FMCO's employment practice and is known as a zealous advocate for Plaintiffs across the country. Elizabeth counsels and represents employees in a variety of employment litigation matters including discrimination (based on age, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation), sexual harassment, Family Medical Leave Act, and retaliation claims. Her vast experience in litigating employment matters, from single-plaintiff discrimination suits to collective and class wage claims, affords her knowledge and aptitude that is simply unmatched.
Elizabeth has dedicated a majority of her practice to protecting workers' rights. She has notable experience prosecuting claims in front of administrative agencies and in state and federal courts. In addition to employment litigation, Elizabeth represents Plaintiffs in complex civil litigation ranging from business disputes to antitrust, consumer fraud and injury cases. She has impressive experience litigating multi-district litigation (“œMDL”) cases on behalf of individuals who have been harmed or injured.
Elizabeth offers a level of advocacy, compassion and dedication to her clients that is truly unparalleled. Elizabeth has been recognized as a SuperLawyers “œRising Star” from 2019 through 2022, an honor only adorned by 2.5% of attorneys in Illinois. In September of 2020, Elizabeth was selected as a “œCivil Plaintiff””Top 40 under 40″ Trial Attorney by the National Trial Lawyers. Elizabeth also currently serves on Public Justice's Board of Directors, where she is also active in several sub-committees. Elizabeth serves as the Executive Vice-Chair to Chicago Bar Association's Young Lawyer Society's Labor and Employment Committee.
Elizabeth is a member of AAJ, Public Justice, the Chicago Bar Association (“œCBA”), the Federal Bar Association (“œFBA”), the National Employment Lawyer Association (“œNELA”), National Trial Lawyers (“œNTL”) and the American Bar Association (“œABA”). She is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois.