Genie Miller Gillespie - Chicago, IL
Attorney at Gillespie Law Group, LLC
Adoption Lawyers in Chicago, IL
6 E. Monroe St. #1004 Chicago, IL 60603
Chicago Adoption Lawyer
Updated: 03/10/2026
Areas of Practice
- Adoption
- Guardianship
- Mediation
- Issues related to children and families
Attorney Information
Overview
Genie Miller Gillespie has been practicing law since 1993, primarily in the area of adoption and guardianship and is a fellow of the American Academy of adoption Attorneys. She was recently selected by her peers as a leading lawyer in Adoption & Reproductive Technology law.
Upon her graduation from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in 1992, she clerked for the Honorable Wendell P. Gardner, Jr., of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. In 1993, she returned to Chicago and practiced domestic relations and mental health law for a small firm, before joining the Chicago Bar Foundation as its pro bono director in 1997.
In 2001, she started her own practice, focusing on adoption, guardianship, mediation, and issues related to children and families. In addition to her practice, Genie was a co-founder of the Center for Law and Social Work, a non-profit agency devoted to developing viable backup plans for older and ill adoptive parents, and is the former director of the Child Custody and Adoption Pro Bono Project at the American Bar Association.
Additionally, Genie is one of the guardians ad litem appointed by the Circuit Court of Cook County to represent children in adoption cases, and volunteers as a guardian ad litem for minor children in guardianship cases through Chicago Volunteer Legal Services. Genie has written numerous articles and has presented at multiple seminars about adoption and related issues. She has also trained hundreds of attorneys to handle pro bono adoption and guardianship cases. She is the general editor and a chapter author of the IICLE Adoption Law Manual.
Genie is on the board of directors of Parents Care and Share, a child abuse prevention program and the I Am Who I Am Foundation which celebrates acceptance of all children with special needs through awareness. She was also the chair of the Chicago Bar Association Adoption Law Committee in 2001 and 2008.
Education
-
Legal Education
-
Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law,
Washington,
District of Columbia, 1992
J.D.
-
Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law,
Washington,
District of Columbia, 1992
-
Non Legal Education
-
Washington University,
St. Louis, 1987
A.B.
-
Washington University,
St. Louis, 1987
Past Positions
- Center for Law and Social Work, Co-Founder and Legal Services Director
- Child Custody and Adoption Pro Bono Project at the American Bar Association, Director
- Chicago Bar Foundation, Pro Bono Director
- Sandra G. Nye and Associates, Associate
- Honorable Wendell P. Gardner, Jr., Superior Court for the District of Columbia, Law Clerk
Classes and Seminars
-
CBA Adoption Law Seminar, 2013
-
Practical Guide through the Adoption Practice , NBI, 2013 - Present
-
IICLE Adoption Law, 2012
-
Practical Guide Through the Adoption Practice and the Essentials of Adoption Law, NBI, 2011 - 2012
-
Justice for All, Including Us: Creating Just and Balanced Work Environments, Equal Justice Conference, 2011
-
Energizing Change: Transforming Compassion Fatigue, Finding Balance, and Sustaining Effectiveness, Equal Justice Conference, 2010
-
Lawyers and Social Workers Working Together: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas, Equal Justice Conference, 2009
-
IICLE Adoption Law, DCFS Adoptions, 2009
-
Adoption Law Start to Finish, NBI, 2009
-
Adoption Law, 4th Annual ISBA Solo Small Firm Conference
-
Bringing Mental Health Expertise into the Legal Representation of Children, ABA Family Law Section Conference, 2008
- ABA Child Custody and Adoption Pro Bono Project, Children's Law Center Conference, 2007
Pro Bono Activities
- IICLE Adoption Law Manual, General Editor and Chapter Author
- Volunteer Guardian ad litem, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
- Board of Directors, Parents Care and Share
- Board of Directors, I Am Who I Am
Published Works
Articles
-
IICLE Adoption Law Manual, General Editor and Chapter Author
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1993
Other Affiliations
- American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (Fellow)
- Chicago Bar Association Adoption Law Committee, 2008 - 2009 (Chair)
- Chicago Bar Association Adoption Law Committee, 2001 (Chair)
- American Bar Association (Member)
- National Association of Counsel for Children (Member)
Photo
Contact
Disclaimer
Your Profile? Update Now
When viewing a listing, consider the state advertising restrictions to which lawyers and law firms must adhere, as well as our FindLaw.com Legal Directory disclaimer. Some lawyers publish comparative information regarding the services that they provide which may be subject to specific comparative communications restrictions.