Full-Court Press
Laurel Bellows
BY JESSICA GIRDWAIN
Michigan Avenue Magazine
Attorney Laurel Bellows, a pioneer for women trial lawyers, began blazing a trail after graduation from Loyola Chicago School of Law in 1974, when she joined Bellows and Bellows, P.C., where she met her future husband, Joel. In 2009 Bellows spearheaded the formation of Bellows Law Group, a woman-owned practice with five male and five female associates.
Throughout her 35-plus years in practice, Bellows has kept a steadfast focus on helping other women advance in law careers—and frequently holds negotiation seminars for women, who, she says, aren’t aware of their inherent negotiation abilities. “Many women are insecure about this ability, but women are talented negotiators because we’re relationship-builders and good listeners,” she says.
Bellows has even taken her work for women to Capitol Hill. In 2009, she was instrumental in the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a federal bill that promotes equal pay for women. This year, Bellows is supporting the Paycheck Fairness Act, working with the Commission on Women to write legislation and lobby in Congress.
Today she’s running unopposed for nomination as president-elect of the American Bar Association; if elected, she’ll govern the 400,000-member organization. Her reputation certainly precedes her: Bellows was the chair of the House of Delegates for the ABA from 2006 to 2008, and in 1991, she became the second female president of the Chicago Bar Association. She’s also a member of the Chicago Network, an exclusive association of high-powered professional women.
Tea time: Every spring, Bellows hosts a networking tea full of highpowered women—from politicians to artists to corporate CEOs—who she has a close relationship with, “who, like me, believe it’s important to help other women succeed.”
World rights: Bellows joined the World Justice Project and traveled to South Africa last year. The meeting brought together opinion leaders from each African country to talk about the importance of the rule of law. “Without it, justice systems around the world would be destroyed,” she says.
