ISBA Rural Practice Section Council Member Profile: Elizabeth M. Reynolds
Background and introduction
- Full Name: Elizabeth M. Reynolds
- Hometown/Current Residence: Downers Grove, IL (hometown)/Ottawa, IL (residence)
- Law School Attended and Year of Graduation: Southern Illinois University School of Law, 2020
- Year Admitted to the Illinois Bar: 2022
- Current Role or Status (g., practicing attorney, judge, retired): Practicing attorney
- Brief overview of your current or most recent practice: The majority of my practice involves representing injured workers and litigating workers’ compensation cases. Prior to that I did labor and employment law and some wrongful death cases in Missouri. In addition to Illinois, I am also licensed in Missouri and became licensed there first.
Career path and practice
Q: What inspired you to pursue a legal career, particularly in a rural setting?
A: I moved to Ottawa in 2004 and have wanted to be an attorney since I was eight years old. Ottawa is a rural community with one other Spanish-speaking attorney and it is the county seat with three court houses. Additionally, there are very few female attorneys and I’ve witnessed firsthand how underrepresented segments of the population suffer. I saw an opportunity to make a positive change in my community and finally went for it by taking a huge risk. I returned to school to pursue my JD in 2017 and it was the best decision I ever made.
Q: What areas of law have you focused on throughout your career?
A: Workers’ compensation petitioner’s work, labor and employment law, and personal injury, including wrongful death.
Q: Did you always intend to practice in a rural area? Why or why not?
A: Yes, I would prefer to be a big fish in a small pond and to use my time to improve conditions in my community by assisting local people. I’ve always admired the work small town attorneys do and their breadth of knowledge of the law.
Q: Describe your typical client base and the community you serve.
A: I typically represent injured workers who sustained an injury while on the job.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your legal career?
A: I love eliminating injustices in the world and seeing my clients happy.
Q: What aspects of the practice are most challenging or frustrating?
A: Managing client expectations is the hardest part of my job. Working with injured people is difficult because they are in pain, experiencing hardship with their health and careers, and experiencing financial instability at the same time.
Q: Was there anything you actively worked to change or improve in the legal system or in your practice environment?
A: No, not yet.
Q: How has rural legal practice changed over the course of your career?
A: I’ve seen many attorneys retire and close their practices without a succession plan. I’ve also seen many large nation-wide firms try to encroach on the legal market of small communities. Often clients feel disappointed with the lack of communication and relationship hurdles associated with these large nation-wide firms. Additionally, AI has become an issue that has made my practice easier and more challenging at the same time. It facilitates legal research, making it much easier and faster to get quality answers to my legal questions. However, my clients are also able to ask legal questions to ChatGPT, Google, etc. and they are often provided with inaccurate answers further confusing them. Sorting out AI-induced confusion has caused a lot of frustration for me as I have to sort out misinformation provided and made readily available by AI.
Accomplishments and contributions
Q: What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: I am most proud of the personal recommendations and referrals I have received from my clients, repeat clients, and positive reviews online. Of course there are the financial victories of my cases but knowing that I have made a positive impact on so many people is the priceless accomplishment I am most proud of.
Q: Have you been involved in community service, local organizations, or bar association work? Please describe.
A: I am the General Assemblywoman for the 13th Judicial Circuit for the ISBA, and on the Workers’ Compensation Section as well as the Rural Practice Section Council. I am a member of the Justinian Society of Lawyers, the LaSalle County Bar Association, the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association, and Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, to name a few.
Q: Are there any cases, projects, or experiences that stand out as especially meaningful or impactful?
A: I have a wrongful death case that I am working on for a dear friend and her family who tragically lost a loved one years ago. I am very passionate about this case and look forward to obtaining a positive outcome for the family who has been through so much.
Looking ahead
Q: What advice would you give to young attorneys considering rural practice?
A: Challenges are opportunities to grow and nurture relationships with more experienced attorneys because they are the best teachers.
Q: What opportunities do you think exist today in rural law practice that didn’t exist earlier in your career?
A: Judicial opportunities are more abundant as many of the Baby Boomers are retiring. There is tremendous opportunity for all interested in the law in rural communities.
Q: How can the Rural Practice Section Council better support attorneys in rural areas?
A: Networking and educational opportunities are key because attorneys in rural areas often lack the networking abilities available in more densely populated areas.
Q: Anything else you'd like to share with your peers or the broader legal community?
A: It is important that we, as a legal community, do more to prevent AI platforms such as ChatGPT from providing legal advice to members of the public