Spotlight on Women and the Law Committee members

Each newsletter we will feature a few Women in the Law Committee members. We hope to provide a brief introduction to the members, their backgrounds and current positions.

Veronica Armouti

Ms. Armouti is President and CEO of the Senala Group, where she is currently working on a startup internet based company. She also provides legal and diversity consulting; she is often called to speak on diversity related topics.

Prior to forming her own company, Ms. Armouti worked for Sandberg Phoenix and von Gontard, P.C., handling cases involving negligence, wrongful death, nursing home defense, medical malpractice, healthcare regulations, and personal injury. She also chaired its Diversity Committee, facilitating the implementation of firm-wide diversity training and roundtables. Ms. Armouti was instrumental in developing the firm’s Diversity Strategic Plan. During her tenure, she conceived and developed the firm’s minority partnership continuing legal education program.

In 2013, Ms. Armouti presented as part of the Maryville University Women in Leadership Series on Diversity. She serves on the Standing Committee on Women and the Law, the Diversity Leadership Council and is a member of the ISBA Law and Leadership Institute Steering Committee.

Ms. Armouti received her Juris Doctorate from the St. Louis University School of Law in 1997. She received a Master of Science degree in Policy Analysis in 1987 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology in 1985 from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

She has been recognized as a 2012 ISBA Diversity Fellow; 2011 St. Louis Business Journal Diverse Business Leader; 2009 Women of Distinction, Alton YWCA; 2009 Saint Louis University Black Law Students Association’s (BLSA) Service Award; and 2008 BLSA Legal Legend.

Dixie Peterson

Ms. Peterson has served as the General Counsel of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services since 2006. In that role, she provides the Department with legal counsel and legal services for litigation, statutory, corporate, budgetary, regulatory, employment, and contractual issues.

She joined the Department in 2000, after a distinguished career practicing environmental law as a capital partner in a large international law firm. She is an AV Preeminent Rated Lawyer and was named to the “100 Women Making a Difference” by Today’s Chicago Woman magazine in 1994.

Ms. Peterson is a current member of ISBA’s Standing Committee on Women and the Law. Previously, she was Chair of the Child Law Section and of the Corporate Law Department Section. Ms. Peterson has also served as Secretary and Board Member of the CBA; Chair of the ABA Law Practice Management Section; and a speaker and organizer of the ABA’s Women Rainmakers in the Legal Profession.

She is a graduate with highest distinction from The John Marshal Law School and served as the Lead Articles Editor of The John Marshall Law Review. She is a long time member of the Law School’s Board of Trustees and former Chair of its Board of Visitors. In addition, she was an Adjunct Professor (real estate graduate law program) at the Law School. In 2001, Ms. Peterson was inducted in the Lyons Township High School Hall of Fame, and in 2007, she was elected President of the Women’s Bar Foundation.

Erin M. Wilson

Ms. Wilson received her Juris Doctorate and Certificate in Family Law from DePaul University College of Law in 2008. Since then she has worked as an associate at O’Connor Family Law. Her focus is on divorce, custody, support, and parentage actions; she is also trained in collaborative law and mediation.

Ms. Wilson is actively involved in the ISBA Young Lawyer Division Section Council, where she chairs the social committee, is on the grant request committee and was previously involved with the Soirée and Holiday Party Committees. Ms. Wilson is a new member to the Standing Committee for Women and the Law. In addition, she is on the Junior Board for Lawrence Hall Youth Services, a safe home for abused and neglected children, where she served as co-president in 2012-2013.

She was also named as a Rising Star by the Illinois Super Lawyers for 2012 and 2013. ■