Ilene Shapiro: Extra Effort Central to Her Pioneering Family Law Career

Ilene E. Shapiro had dreams of being at the forefront of a growing trend: She wanted to be a pioneer and become part of the first real wave of female attorneys. Consider that dream reached.

Shapiro, a partner with the Chicago law firm of Grund & Leavitt PC, has crafted a 35-year career in the field of family law. And she’s thrived at both the trial court and appellate court levels.

Reaching this goal wasn’t always easy. Shapiro, like her female counterparts, had to overcome resistance from clients, attorneys and judges in what at the time was a male-dominated business. And unlike today, enrollment at law schools was not split fairly evenly among genders.

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