Attorney Bridget Duignan grew up on the south side of Chicago. Her desire to help others led her to join the legal profession. Prior to joining Latherow & Duignan, Bridget served as Assistant Counsel to the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. There, she analyzed proposed legislation, assisted House Members during debate and served as the Parliamentarian to the State Government and Insurance Committees. Prior to that, Bridget worked as a defense attorney in workers’ compensation and employment law. She gained valuable experience there, seeing injury claims from a defense perspective and seeing the ways big corporations make litigation difficult for injured and maligned individuals. Bridget uses this knowledge to help those injured because of others’ negligence.
- Illinois State Bar Association, elected Second Vice-President, Chair of Scope & Correlation, former Treasurer and Secretary; former Chair of the Tort Section Council, serves/served on various committees including, Investment, Budget & Audit, Membership, and Women & the Law.
- Illinois Lawyers’ Political Action Committee, Chair;
- Illinois Bar Foundation, appointed to Board of Directors 2016-2017, 2017-2018; 2019-2023, 2023-Present; former Chair Lawyers Care Committee; former Vice-Chair of the Champions; former Chair of Lawyers Rock Committee;
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, appointed to Board of Managers; member of the Women’s Caucus; Co-chair of Legislative Committee
- Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, Co-Chair of Legislative & Dignitary Committees
- American Association for Justice, Member.
- Illinois, 2004
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2004
- John Marshall Law School, JD, 2004
- Illinois State University, Political Science, 2000
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association – Medical Malpractice Seminars; December 2021 (Opening Statements & Closing Arguments) & December 2022 (Voir Dire); Workers’ Compensation Seminar; November 2021 (Ethics & Diversity); Damages Seminar; February 2021 (Non-Economic Damages); Trial & Practice Tips Seminar; May 2019 (Cross Examination) & May 2018 (Panel Discussion: It’s More Than Just Trying Cases: Practical Suggestions for Advancing your Career); Ethics and Professionalism Seminar; March 2018 (Diversity in the Workplace and ABA Rule 8.4(g)); Update & Review; October 2016 (Using Technology in the Courtroom) & October 2023 (Voir Dire); and Everything you Need to Know About Motor Vehicle Cases Seminar; March 2012 (Punitive Damages);
- Illinois State Bar Association – Foundations, Evidence & Objections (March 2012 & February 2016); Tort Law: Back to Basics (February 2014); and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (October 2023);
- Workers’ Compensation Law Association – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, Spring Seminars 2022 & 2023;
- Illinois Workers’ Compensation Arbitrator Training – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, May 2023;
- Lorman Education Service – Rules of Evidence, June 2011 & Medical Records, July 2013.
- Former Author of a monthly column in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Women, Law & Politics
- Construction Safety Act, The Chicago Bar Association Tort Litigation Committee’s newsletter, Issue 10, June, 2009
- May I Please See Your File? (a view of the self-critical analysis privilege), ITLA Journal, Vol. 10, Num. 2, Summer 2008
- Co-wrote Illinois’ Workplace Transparency Act, Public Act 101-0221
2018- Testified before an Illinois House Committee Task Force on Sexual Harassment on the impact of non-disclosure agreements on women and drafted the initial House Bill that led to the Workplace Transparency Act, Public Act 101-0221;
2018 – Testified before an Illinois Committee in support of the Equal Rights Amendment;
2023 – Testified before an Illinois Senate Committee in support of an amendment to the Gender Violence Act, Public Act 103-0282; and
2019-2023 – School Advisory Board, Board Chair in 2021-2022, St. Barnabas Catholic School