Paulette A. Petretti

Partner

312.565.3100 ext. 245
312.565.0000 fax

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Ms. Petretti handles complex federal and state court litigation for school district, community college and municipal clients.  Additionally, Ms. Petretti has extensive experience handling administrative matters, resolving contract controversies, and defending management against civil rights suits, employment discrimination charges, tort claims and grievances.  Ms. Petretti also spends significant time handling insurance coverage dispute matters, and advising clients on personnel, disciplinary matters and labor relations concerns.  Ms. Petretti regularly provides legal counsel to clients concerning the interpretation of the U.S. and State Constitutions, governing statutes and ordinances, as applied to questions arising out of board governance.

Ms. Petretti co-authored the Students Rights and Responsibilities Chapter of the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education 1999 Illinois School Law Handbook, as well as the Labor Relations and Employment Discrimination Chapters of the Illinois School Law Handbook Supplement.

Early in her career, Ms. Petretti served as Assistant Corporation Counsel with the City of Chicago Labor and Employment Division, where she served as a litigator and trial attorney on civil rights cases and she prosecuted cases before the Chicago Police Board and Personnel Review Board.  An ardent supporter of the performing arts, Ms. Petretti is on the Executive Council of the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee, an organization that bestows annual awards celebrating achievements of excellence in the Chicago area theatre.

Ms. Petretti received her Bachelor’s degree from St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, after which she taught high school English, speech and drama in her native State of Wisconsin.  She received her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University Chicago, School of Law in 1990.