Julie LaEace
- Senior Pro Bono Counsel and Director of Social Responsibility
Julie is passionate about providing lawyers and business professionals opportunities to create positive change for individuals and communities while increasing their own career satisfaction.
Senior Pro Bono Counsel and Director of Social Responsibility Julie LaEace heads the firm’s nationally recognized pro bono program. Leading a dedicated team, she fosters relationships with new and existing legal aid partners, sets strategy for the pro bono program and provides guidance on policy, while developing high impact pro bono and access-to-justice initiatives and programs.
Under her guidance, Perkins Coie rose 26 spots on The American Lawyer’s 2024 Pro Bono Scorecard, which ranks the top U.S. law firms based on the breadth and depth of their commitment to pro bono legal service. She focuses on making pro bono work easily accessible to all Perkins Coie lawyers by offering a wide range of opportunities, increasing communication, and simplifying policies and processes.
Drawing upon a background in pro bono, social impact, and attorney development, Julie was a contributing author to An Associate’s First Year: A Guide to Thriving at a Law Firm, and The Best Lawyer You Can Be: A Guide to Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Well-Being, both published in 2018.
Earlier in her career, Julie was an employment and benefits lawyer at two large law firms in Chicago.
Active in her community, Julie has served on the boards of the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness and the Rebuilding Exchange. She is a former member of the Chicago Bar Foundation Advisory Committee on Training and Professional Development in Legal Aid and is a long-time member of the Association of Pro Bono Counsel.
Prior to joining Perkins Coie, Julie spent more than 13 years in pro bono and social impact roles at leading law firms, including at Kirkland & Ellis, where she built and led an award-winning global pro bono program as pro bono counsel and global program director.
Education & Credentials
Education
- Notre Dame Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, Articles Editor, Notre Dame Law Review
- Indiana University, B.S., summa cum laude
Bar and Court Admissions
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Illinois