Ina Silvergleid Email & Phone Number

Greater Chicago Area

A Bridge Forward LLC provides affordable legal services to individuals who have a criminal history (convictions or arrests) and want to go into a licensed profession or occupation but are fearful that their history may make it difficult for them to obtain a license and/or want to eliminate their criminal history to increase their chances of finding employment. In addition to working one-on-one with individuals, A Bridge Forward conducts workshops and seminars for academic, civic, and social service groups on such topics as: the impact of having a criminal record, how criminal background checks are performed, and a survey of the remedies available to individuals who want to remove their criminal history from public access or waive statutory barriers to employment or licensing. Additionally, A Bridge Forward helps companies navigate through the increasingly complicated patchwork of state and federal laws now regulating when a job applicant can be questioned about his or her criminal background. In the last 10 years, numerous state laws have been enacted to help people who have a criminal background increase their odds of obtaining employment by delaying employer inquiries into someone's background and, in some cases, barring consideration of decades old convictions. If someone does have a criminal history, A Bridge Forward makes sure that companies understand the criminal history information they are provided. Criminal sentencing laws vary by state. Even where state criminal laws employ the same terminology, their meaning frequently differs from state to state.

Once a week I volunteer at the Moran Center's Expungement help desk, located at the Second District courthouse in Skokie, Illinois. Through my volunteer work with the Moran Center I found my calling, which led to my current business. I continue to volunteer at the desk because of the ongoing need for free and competent legal counsel to those who are continue to be haunted by their criminal history, arrests and convictions, regardless of how many years have passed.

Greater Chicago Area

I worked as a ghost writer for several labor arbitrators. I drafted decisions in cases involving employee termination or discipline, as well as cases involving questions of contract interpretation. I also drafted written materials on a variety of employment law topics for publication or use in CLE programs. Topics included: FMLA, ADA, social networking sites, health care reform act, and immigration.

Researched and wrote articles, speeches, attorney and client training and educational materials for the law firm's labor and employment practice group. Notable projects included:Developed the content, selected authors, edited and contributed to an ABA book publication, Preventing and Managing Workplace Violence: Legal and Strategic Guidelines.Co-authored a Sheshunoff/Alex eSolutions, Inc. publication on legal issues employers could face in the event of a pandemic influenza, Business Continuity Planning: Preparing for a Flu Pandemic (formerly titled Business Continuity Planning: Preparing for an Avian Flu Pandemic).Ghost wrote a chapter on the difficulties encountered by employers in applying the Family and Medical Leave Act, "The Family and Medical Leave Act: Lost in Translation," in a college textbook, Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in the Workplace: Issues and Challenges for Today's Organizations, published by Praeger.

I represented the U.S. Postal Service before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with respect to charges of race, sex, age and disability discrimination, harassment and retaliation. I conducted discovery, drafted motions, conducted hearings, and negotiated and mediated cases to settlement.

I represented unions, multiemployer pension, health and welfare funds, as well as individual employees (e.g., discrimination, state pension disability claims). I represented clients in both state and federal court, as well as before state administrative licensing authorities.

I worked in the Labor Unit of the Civil Actions Bureau, where I was responsible for representing Cook County officials and agencies (e.g., Sheriff's office, Cook County Hospital) in state and federal court, and before administrative disciplinary boards. I represented the county in civil rights and discrimination cases, as well as in disciplinary and termination matters.

I clerked for Judge H. Dean Whipple, a federal district court judge for the Western District of Missouri (Kansas City), who is currently on senior status. I, along with one other law clerk, was responsible for managing the judge's motion docket. I reviewed motions and drafted initial orders granting or denying the motion for the judge's review and signature. I also wrote draft rulings in Social Security and bankruptcy appeals. Additionally, I provided technical assistance to the judge during bench and jury trials by taking notes (bench trial) and assembling and finalizing jury instructions.

J.D., Law

Activities and Societies: Worked on Chicago-Kent Law Review for two years (one year as notes and comments editor), graduated Order of Coif

B.S., Communications, Nutritional Sciences

Activities and Societies: Worked on the Daily Illini student newspaper for four years (one year as assistant editor of Spectrum).