Patti S. Gregory wrote a letter on Nov. 21 to the ISBA Academy of Illinois Lawyers. In it, she described in glowing terms the professional achievements of Jewel N. Klein, and nominated her for a Laureate.

Since they are colleagues on the ISBA Administrative Law Section Council, it was not unusual for Gregory to have observed Klein's “trail blazing and continued commitment to the profession … a classy lady who really cares about people and the law.”

What is extraordinary about this Laureate nomination, however, is that Gregory is blind. With white cane at hand, she joined the ovation for Klein during the March 23 luncheon at which the Laureates were presented.

Gregory reads with Braille and computer software that converts printed matter to audio. She creates documents, diaries appointments and takes notes with her BrailleLite.

With these aids, she has overcome the obstacles that could have impeded her during an 18-year career as an assistant Chicago corporation counsel in building and land use matters.

In fact, she was promoted to senior assistant corporation counsel in 1998, expanding her role as a litigator to supervision of 15 law clerks and externs and four paralegals in the administrative law unit.

Gregory and her team handle about 4,000 prosecutions annually in violations of building and fire codes, lead paint cases, and false statements on applications for construction permits.

Supervisory and administrative duties and training take up most of her time, but she still appears in court one or two days a week with the assistance of a live reader.

One of the readers she hired, Francisco Chang, became her husband, and they have two teenage children. Chang is a nurse at Resurrection Hospital.

An article about Patti Gregory, “Someone you should know,” appeared in the November issue of the Administrative Law Section newsletter and the December issue of the Committee on Government Lawyers newsletter.

The author, DePaul University law student Ronza M. Othman, detailed Gregory's “dedication and drive (to) become a prominent government attorney, advocate for the blind community, and exemplary wife and mother.”

Gregory began losing her sight at age 12, due to a combination of genetic microthalmia, cataracts and glaucoma. She attended Michigan State University with a goal of becoming a teacher for the visually impaired.

Realizing subsequently that she might “have a better impact” in the law, she entered the University of Chicago Law School and graduated in 1988. She received an offer from the city legal department right out of law school.

Gregory's commitment to building and land use matters may be attributed to the death of a brother in a fire in his home, which did not have smoke detectors or proper drywall construction.

“What in people's lives is more important than the space in which they live?” she asked of Othman for the newsletter article.

“Whether we're talking about the quality of construction of their apartments or houses, or if there has been a crime in their neighborhood because of a vacant building, or if people are getting sick because there is no heat in their building, we're talking about basic standard-of-living issues, and this is where I can make the most impact.”

Beyond the office, Gregory is president of the National Federation of the Blind in Illinois, a vice president of the Chicago chapter, special events coordinator and a mentor to new members.

She helps permanent residents become citizens by conducting naturalization practice exams and review sessions at the PuiTak Center in Chinatown.

“Society tells you a lot about what you can't do,” she told Othman.

“I think that my blindness actually makes me want to be more productive because, on some level, I can prove what I can do to myself and to society.”