2026 ILLINOIS ATTORNEYS TO WATCH
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LOREN GUTIÉRREZ Loren Gutiérrez is a litigator who wins cases, builds programs and transforms systems. ”
AGE: 34 FIRM : Legal Aid Society LAW SCHOOL : Chicago-Kent College of Law
AREA(S) OF PRACTICE: Nonprofit
L oren Gutiérrez has spent her career proving that some of the most important legal victories happen outside the courtroom. Gutiérrez serves as deputy director of the Legal Aid Society in Chicago. At 34, she is the youngest person to hold that po- sition in the organization's history. She is also one of Illinois' leading authorities on criminal protective orders, combining lit- igation, policy work and education to improve how the state's legal system serves survivors of domestic violence. A graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law, Gutiérrez has ris- en quickly since beginning her career as an intern with the Legal Aid Society. Along the way, she has personally represented more than 600 clients while helping lead teams that have served more than 8,100 survivors of domestic and community violence. “Loren Gutiérrez does not merely practice within the legal system, she reshapes it,” said Matthew Walch, with Chicago’s Latham & Watkins LLP. Gutiérrez played a key role in drafting portions of Illinois' land- mark SAFE-T Act and later served on the Pretrial Fairness Act Implementation Committees, helping translate the sweeping legislation into practical courtroom procedures. Her experience representing survivors allowed her to help ensure that reforms to Illinois' pretrial system addressed the often-complex relationship between criminal prosecutions and civil orders of protection. She also contributed to the development and implementation
of Karina's Law, legislation strengthening firearm protections in domestic violence cases, and has helped shape amendments to the Illinois Domestic Violence Act. “Loren Gutiérrez does not merely represent domestic violence survivors, she elevates the standard of advocacy for every lawyer, judge and prosecutor who works in this field,” said Ethan Samson, deputy general counsel with Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. Gutiérrez’s courtroom work has been equally significant. As the Legal Aid Society's senior litigator on complex and contest- ed matters, Gutiérrez has coordinated the return of children kidnapped to Mexico, secured a published appellate opinion involving court fees in Adult Protective Services cases and con- tinued representing clients even after an adverse party stalked her during litigation. “Loren Gutiérrez is a litigator who wins cases, builds pro- grams and transforms systems,” said Amanda Amert with Chi- cago’s Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Under Gutiérrez's leadership, the Legal Aid Society has be- come an integral part of Cook County's Domestic Violence Court, helping make child-related remedies a routine compo- nent of orders of protection filed alongside criminal domestic violence prosecutions. That change has benefited more than 3,300 survivors. Additionally, she oversees two practice groups, and led the expansion of LAS’s DV legal services to the Markham Courthouse and DuPage County.
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40 Under Forty 2026 CHICAGO LAWYER & CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN
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