Claudia E. Castro

Claudia E. Castro focuses her practice on school and labor and employment law for both public and private sector clients. Her practice involves issues related to internal investigations, Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act concerns, discrimination and harassment claims, teacher dismissals, employee misconduct, collective bargaining, grievance arbitrations, general contract matters, student discipline, special education issues, and board governance.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Castro served as the chief legal officer for a Chicago charter school network where she represented them during their most recent labor negotiations with the nation’s largest teacher’s union.

As a former assistant legal counsel at the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), she provided valuable insight and counsel to school districts on civil right matters and background check issues.

She previously worked for a law firm where she served as village attorney for various communities. She advised clients on board governance, liquor code compliance, zoning issues, licensing issues, ordinance drafting, public finance, and code violations.

Ms. Castro began her legal career as an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office where she prosecuted criminal and civil cases. She conducted eight jury trials and over three hundred bench trials, hearings, and motions.

She was named as one of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin’s "Forty Illinois Attorneys under 40 to Watch" and was recognized as “Who’s Who in Hispanic Chicago 2017” by Negocios Now.

EDUCATION

• J.D., The Thomas M. Cooley Law School
• B.S., Loyola University Chicago