NIU Law alums, faculty honored by Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

Northern Illinois University College of Law alumni Kenya Jenkins-Wright (2003) and Heather Wier Vaught (2005) join clinical assistant professor Colleen Boraca in being honored as "40 under 40" attorneys by The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.

The Law Bulletin Publishing company conducts the 40 under 40 survey annually to determine who they believe are the "up and coming" young attorneys in Illinois under the age of 40. Forty attorneys are chosen - from hundreds of nominations each year - based on professional achievements, passion, and a desire to help the community.

Kenya Jenkins-Wright is an associate at Greene and Letts in Chicago, where she focuses on tort litigation defense, employment law and civil procedure. She is the NIU Law Alumni Council President and was recently elected to the ISBA Board of Governors.

Heather Wier Vaught is Chief Counsel to the Office of the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. In this role, she advises the Speaker and members of the House on legislation pending before the General Assembly and serves as the point person for many legislative initiatives. She was chosen as NIU Law's Young Alumna of the Year in 2009.

Colleen Boraca is a clinical assistant professor at NIU Law, where she supervises and teaches the law school's new Health Advocacy Clinic in Aurora. The clinic features teams of lawyers, medical professionals and social workers trained to simultaneously address the legal, medical and social needs of the area's homeless and low-income population.

As the only public law school in northern Illinois, NIU College of Law has been named a top law school nationally for diversity, value, and careers in public interest/government service. NIU Law provides unique opportunities for its students, beginning with its highly accomplished faculty who are personally invested in the success of every student throughout their professional lives. Although many alumni serve as public interest attorneys, prosecutors, defenders, elected officials, and judges, they are equally prepared for careers as solo practitioners or lawyers in multinational firms.

To view the Law Bulletin profiles on each of the NIU Law honorees, use the following link: www.niu.edu/law/calendar/news_items/2014/Consolidated%20NIU%20Law%2040%20Under%2040%20Profiles%202015.pdf.

For more information on the NIU College of Law, visit www.niu.edu/law.