Attorney Profiles
Alisa B. Arnoff
Chicago, Illinois
- Phone:
- Fax:
- Email:
- (312) 629-0546
- (312) 629-0550
- aba@sacounsel.com
Alisa is the firm's only Chicago native, and you can definitely hear it in her accent. She received both her undergraduate and law degrees from Loyola University – Chicago, getting her English degree while on a combined swimming/academic scholarship. She concentrates her practice almost exclusively in the area of employment, labor and education law.
SELECTED BAR MEMBERSHIPS, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND HONORS
- Admitted to practice in the State of Illinois.
- Admitted to practice in federal district courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois, Eastern District of Wisconsin.
- Admitted to practice before the Third, Sixth, Seventh and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeal.
- College of Labor & Employment Lawyers (elected 2010).
- Illinois "Super Lawyer" in Area of Employment Law (multiple years) and Top Women Lawyers in Illinois (2011-20).
- American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Lawyers – National Co-Chair (Management), Law Student Trial Advocacy Competition.
- Member, International Association of Fire Chiefs Bullying, Harassment and Workplace Violence Task Group (2017- )
- Appointed, 2012, to the Illinois State Bar Association Special Committee on Fair and Impartial Courts, now the Future of the Courts Committee.
- Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (2011).
- Member of the Illinois State (Illinois Bar Journal Editorial Board) and American Bar Associations (Member, Labor & Employment (Employment Rights & Responsibilities Subcommittee), Litigation, Law Practice Management Sections).
- Former Editor-in-Chief, Illinois Bar Journal Editorial Board.
- Past Chair of Illinois State Bar Association's Labor & Employment Law Section Council.
- Former Chair, Human Resources Committee, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Inc.
- Martindale-Hubbell® AV Peer Rated.
RECENT PUBLISHED WORKS
- “Building and Destroying the Affirmative Defense of ‘Direct Threat” under the ADA,” co-authored with Noah Frank, American Bar Association 12th Annual Section of Labor & Employ-ment Law Annual Meeting, November 2018.
- “Accommodating Hidden Disabilities in the Public Safety Sector,” supplementary materials to “Helping Your Clients Understand and Accommodate Invisible Disabilities,” American Bar As-sociation 10th Annual Section of Labor & Employment Law Annual Meeting, November 2016.
- Recurring Guest Blogger – Fire Chief Magazine Mutual Aid Blog
- "Workplace Defamation Law: The Basics, and Then Some", American Bar Association 6th Annual Labor and Employment Law Section Meeting (November 2012)(Co-author).
- "Gender Issues in the Fire Service", 1 FireWork 35, International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services (August 2011).
- "An Introduction to Ethical Obligations in Using Social Media in Litigation", 134h Annual Employment & Labor Law Short Course, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Chicago, Illinois, (April 2011).
RECENT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- “You’re not in Kansas Anymore: Discrimination Law & More for the New Company Officer,” Fire-Rescue International Conference/ReIgnite Virtual Conference. October 2020 (pre-recorded).
- “Bullying and Workplace Violence Prevention,” IAFC Health Safety and Survival Virtual Training Day, September 25, 2020 [with co-presenter Fire Chief David Emanuel](pre-recorded).
- “LGBT Rights in the Workplace,” Southeastern Association of Law Schools 2020 Conference, Fort Lauderdale, FL August 4, 2020 [Panel Member].
- “Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for Mental Health Professionals,” The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Institute for Professional & Continuing Studies, July 30, 2020 (conducted remotely).
- “COVID-19: Managing Reasonable Accommodation Requests under the ADA”, American Bar As-sociation Commission on Disability Rights, July 28, 2020 (conducted remotely) [Employer repre-sentative on panel].
- “Employee Handbook 2020: Review, Revise, Repeat! Not Again…,” Employment Law Update, MRA-The Management Association, Palatine, IL January 30, 2020.
- “Inquiring Minds Want to Know - Ask the Attorney!” Employment Law Update, MRA-The Man-agement Association, Palatine, IL January 30, 2020 [Panel Member].
- “Workplace Bullying: Legal Implications and Exposure,” Illinois Human Rights Commission’s Lunch & Learn Series, Chicago, IL September 16, 2019.
- “Firehouse Law: I Can Do What I Want Off-Duty, Right?” Fire-Rescue International Conference, Atlanta, GA August 9, 2019 [with co-presenter John Rukavina].
- “From Bullying to Respect: A Conversation,” Fire-Rescue International Conference, Atlanta, GA August 8, 2019 [Panel Member].
- “Surviving Your EEO Obligations as a New Company Officer,” Fire-Rescue International Confer- ence, Atlanta, GA August 7, 2019.
- “Investigating the Personnel Fire without Getting Burned,” Fire-Rescue International Conference, Atlanta, GA August 7, 2019 [with co-presenter John Rukavina].
- “The Strategy & Tactics of Confronting Bullies – Effectively.” 49th Annual Symposium, Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, East Peoria, IL May 16, 2019.
- “Investigating the Personnel Fire without Getting Burned,” Podcast to promote upcoming Fire- Res-cue International program, taped April 10, 2019 - access at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/iafcpodcasts/2019/04/11/off-duty-conduct-i-can-do-what-i-want-right.
- “The Strategy & Tactics of Confronting Bullies – Safely & Courageously,” Women in Fire/FDIC, Indianapolis, IN April 8, 2019 [with co-presenter Katherine Ridenhour].
- “Balancing Workplace Safety with Employee Rights,” American Bar Association 12th Annual Sec-tion of Labor & Employment Law Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA November 9, 2018 [Moder-ator/Employer Representative on panel].
- “Your Employee Handbook - Friend or Foe?,” Chicago Roofing Contractors Association, Schaum-burg, IL Sept. 18, 2018.
- “Firehouse Law: I Can Do What I Want Off-Duty, Right?,” Fire-Rescue International Conference, Dallas, TX August 9, 2018 [with co-presenter John Rukavina].
- “From Buddy to Boss – Surviving Your EEO Responsibility,” Fire-Rescue International Confer- ence, Dallas, TX August 8, 2018.
- “Investigating the Personnel Fire without Getting Burned,” Fire-Rescue International Conference, Dallas, TX August 8, 2018 [with co-presenter John Rukavina].
- “Legal Perspective and Viewpoint,” Bullying, Harassment and Violence Prevention Symposium, Fire-Rescue International Conference, Dallas, TX August 7, 2018.
- “The Strategy & Tactics of Confronting Bullies – Safely & Courageously,” International Women in Fire & Emergency Services Conference, Tyson’s Corner, VA May 24, 2018 [with co-presenter Katherine Ridenhour].
- “Hiring, Evaluating & Firing Employees: Fairly--Legally--Defensively,” Small Business Coalition, Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce, Bolingbrook, IL April 27, 2018.
- “Genetics, Complicity or Bad Luck? Is there Workplace “Lifestyle” Discrimination? If so, is it Ille-gal?” American Bar Association Section of Labor & Employment Law, Employee Rights and Re-sponsibilities Committee Mid-Winter Meeting, Clearwater Beach, FL March 21, 2018 [Employer Representative on panel].
- “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace,” Journal of Women, Gender and the Law Symposium, De-Paul University College of Law, Chicago, IL March 2, 2018 [Employer Representative on panel].
- “Introduction to the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act,” 20th Annual Employment Law Update, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Chicago, IL Feb. 22, 2018 [and after-noon moderator].
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
AV Peer Rated, Martindale Hubbell.
