Eileen Letts is a premier civil trial attorney, with dozens of jury trials and over 100 bench trials, often to Fortune 500 companies and iconic government entities. Ms. Letts has won high-stakes trials in a wide variety of subject matter areas. Areas of focus include employment, complex tort, and other commercial litigation. She also handles internal investigations, particularly as relates to senior executives.
Ms. Letts is a member of the House of Delegates (i.e.: the policymaking body) of the American Bar Association and a Trustee of the National Judicial College. She currently chairs the Magistrate Selection Committee for the Northern District of Illinois.
Ms. Letts is a frequent presenter at continuing legal education seminars and panel discussions of the American Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, Black Women Lawyers Association, and the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education.
Ms. Letts possesses deep roots in the Chicago political community. As an example, she served on the transition team of Chicago Mayor-Elect Harold Washington.
Ms. Letts began her career clerking for the Honorable Glenn T. Johnson, Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court.
Professional Affiliations & Activities
- Member, Board of Directors, NAMWOLF (National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms)
- Member, Racial Justice Diversity Committee for the Northern District of Illinois 2020
- Member, ABA House of Delegates
- Member, Issues of Concern Committee, ABA House of Delegates
- Member, ABA Executive Committee Section of Litigation
- Member/Council, ABA Section of Litigation
- Chair, Magistrate Selection Panel, Northern District of Illinois
- Member, AbstoneLalley, Inc. Advisory Board
Speaking Engagements & Presentations
- Presented, Mentorship and Sponsorship: Empowering the Next Generation of Women Leaders, Managing Partner Forum Symposium, October 5, 2023.
- Co-Moderator, Cross Cultural Negotiation… How Do You Get it Right?, ABA, September 12, 2023.
- Panelist, Hidden No More: Taking a Stand & Taking the Lead, Ohio Women’s Bar Association Annual Meeting, May 11, 2023
- Panelist, Power in Your Pivot, Black Women Lawyers Association: National Summit, March 31, 2023
- Panelist, Boot Camp Trial Skills Day, ACTL, ABA Litigation Section, and the Young Barristers’ Committee of the Bar Council of England & Wales, December 4, 2021
- Panelist, Stop Video!: How to Avoid Common Ethical Mistakes When Practicing Online, ABA 2021 Joint CLE Conference, November 19, 2021
- Panelist, The $250,000 Difference: What Does Gender Have To Do With It?, Illinois State Bar Association, November 12, 2021
- Moderator, Historical Barriers: Challenges and Opportunities for Female Attorneys of Color, Connecticut Bar Association, February 2021
- Moderator, Levers for Transformative Organizational Change, 2021 World Forum for Women in the Law, January 2021
- Panelist, Left Out and Left Behind, Boston Bar Association, November 2020
- Panelist, Left Out and Left Behind, ALFDP Annual Conference, November 2020
- Panelist, Fireside Chat with Fried Frank, ABA, November 2020
- Panelist, A Litigator’s Dream or Worst Nightmare, ABA Section of Litigation, November 2020
- Panelist, Left Out and Left Behind, BASF and Northern California Black Women Lawyers, October 2020
- Panelist, Left Out and Left Behind, MWL 26th Annual Rosalie Wahl Leadership Lecture, October 2020
- Panelist, Left Out and Left Behind, ERA, September 2020
- Panelist, Leveraging Our Positions to Disrupt Bias and Build More Equitable Pathways to Success, Forum of
Executive Women’s Leadership Symposium, September 2020 - Panelist, From Golf Course to the Persuit Scorecard, NAMWOLF Annual Meeting, September 2020
- Panelist, The Paucity of Women of Color in the Legal Profession and Its Impact on the Administration of
Justice, ABA Annual Meeting, July 2020 - Panelist, Diversity and Inclusion, Connecticut Bar Association, July 2020
Honors & Achievements
- Richard E. Westbrook Award, Cook County Bar Association, 2022
- Margaret Brent Award, American Bar Association, 2018
- John Paul Stevens Award, Chicago Bar Association and Chicago Bar Foundation, 2016.
- Illinois “Super Lawyer”, 2013 – Present
- Earl B. Dickerson Award, Chicago Bar Association, 2008.
- Pro Bono Initiative Award, Public Interest Law Initiative, 2008.
- Selectee, Who’s Who in Black Chicago, inaugural edition, 2006.
- Distinguished Service Award, Chicago Bar Association, 2005.