Illinois Employment Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Illinois employment attorneys who handle IHRA discrimination, wage, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims for workers across Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Joliet, Naperville, and Springfield.

Free to use — no fee unless you win
Matched with an Illinois attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Illinois employment case review

A Illinois attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your Illinois employment case

When you submit a Illinois employment matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A employment matter needs someone who handles employment work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Illinois law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Illinois who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with an employment claim in Illinois

Day 0
Something happens at work.
A firing, demotion, missed pay, harassment, retaliation. Write down dates, names and what was said, and save emails and pay stubs before access disappears.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Illinois employment attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Your attorney builds the record.
Personnel file, pay records, texts, witness accounts, the handbook. Employers keep meticulous files; you need one too.
Months 1–3
Demand, or an agency charge.
Many Illinois employment claims start with a demand letter or a charge with the state agency or the EEOC. Your attorney picks the route that protects your deadlines.
Within 300 days
Suit is filed if it has to be.
Illinois gives 300 days for this step. Missing it can end the claim before it starts.
Resolution
Settlement or judgment.
You pay nothing along the way. The fee — typically 33% — comes only out of what’s recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

State Anti-Discrimination Statute: IHRA
Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA), 775 ILCS 5/1-101 et seq. Broad protected classes including race, sex (incl. pregnancy), age 40+, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, marital status, order of protection status, arrest/conviction record (with limits), source of income, reproductive health decisions, citizenship status.
Deadline to File Charge: 300 days
300 days to file with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR). Work-share agreement with EEOC. Recent IHRA amendments give workers 2 years to file directly in court after IDHR right-to-sue.
At-Will Doctrine: At-will state
At-will state with robust public-policy exception (Kelsay v. Motorola, 1978; Palmateer v. International Harvester). Statutory protections including Illinois Whistleblower Act (740 ILCS 174), workers' comp retaliation (Kelsay), Equal Pay Act (820 ILCS 112).
Non-Compete Enforceability: $75k
Illinois Freedom to Work Act (820 ILCS 90, amended 2022). Non-competes void for workers earning under $75,000 annually; non-solicits void for workers under $45,000. Above the thresholds: reasonableness test plus mandatory 14-day review period and consideration requirements.
Minimum Wage & Overtime: $14.00
Illinois minimum wage $14.00/hour (2024), rising to $15.00 in 2025. Chicago: $15.80 (2024), rising. Overtime under Illinois Minimum Wage Law (820 ILCS 105) and FLSA — 1.5x after 40 hours. Paid Leave for All Workers Act (2024) requires 40 hours paid leave annually for any reason.
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

The Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA, 775 ILCS 5/1-101 et seq.) prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), age (40+), order of protection status, marital status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, citizenship status, arrest record, conviction record (with limits), source of income, and reproductive health decisions. The IHRA covers all Illinois employers (recent amendments lowered the threshold from 15 to 1 employee for many provisions). Charges are filed with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) within 300 days. Illinois is at-will with a robust public-policy exception (Kelsay v. Motorola). The Illinois Freedom to Work Act (820 ILCS 90, 2022 amendments) bans non-competes for workers earning under $75,000 and non-solicits under $45,000. Illinois minimum wage is $14.00/hour (2024), rising to $15.00 in 2025; Chicago has higher local minimums. Illinois has paid sick leave (Paid Leave for All Workers Act, 2024) and the One Day Rest in Seven Act.

Exhibit B

When to call an employment attorney in Illinois

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Employment cases we take in Illinois

Which one is closest to yours?

Race and national-origin discrimination

IHRA 775 ILCS 5/2-102 and Title VII. Chicago's diverse workforce generates significant claims. IDHR and Cook County Commission on Human Rights enforcement.

Sound like yours? A Illinois attorney reviews it free — no fee unless they win.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Illinois employment attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

Illinois · Employment

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most Illinois employment attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Illinois employment attorneys work on contingency or hybrid arrangements — typically 33%–40% of recovery. IHRA (uncapped state-law damages), Illinois Whistleblower Act, Illinois Minimum Wage Law (treble damages), and federal employment statutes shift attorney fees to the employer when the worker prevails. Fee-shifting frequently becomes the largest single component.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Illinois employment compensation can include

A Illinois employment recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Back Pay

Lost wages and benefits from termination to judgment under IHRA and federal law. Uncapped.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Illinois employment questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Illinois attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

IHRA (775 ILCS 5/1-101) is one of the broadest state anti-discrimination statutes, covering 20+ protected categories at virtually all Illinois employers. Charges are filed with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) within 300 days. After IDHR's investigation or a right-to-sue notice, you can litigate in circuit court within 2 years.

Race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), age (40+), order of protection status, marital status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, arrest record, conviction record (with limits), source of income, and reproductive health decisions. Illinois has unusually broad arrest-record and source-of-income protections.

The Illinois Freedom to Work Act (820 ILCS 90, amended 2022) voids non-competes for workers earning under $75,000 annually and non-solicits for workers under $45,000. Above the thresholds, non-competes must satisfy a reasonableness test, be supported by adequate consideration (typically 2 years of continued employment or a meaningful benefit), and give the employee at least 14 days to review with counsel before signing.

Effective January 1, 2024, the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (820 ILCS 192) requires nearly all Illinois employers to provide at least 40 hours of paid leave annually that employees can use for any reason — no doctor's note required. Chicago and Cook County have separate paid-sick-leave ordinances that may be more generous.

Illinois minimum wage is $14.00/hour as of January 1, 2024, increasing to $15.00 on January 1, 2025. Chicago has a higher local minimum ($15.80 for employers with 21+ workers as of July 1, 2024). Cook County also has its own ordinance.

No. Illinois recognized this tort in Kelsay v. Motorola (1978). Damages include reinstatement, back pay, and punitive damages.

Not without legal review. IHRA's broad coverage, the Illinois Whistleblower Act, the Equal Pay Act, and federal employment statutes all create valuable claims. ADEA releases (40+) require 21 days to consider and 7-day revocation. The Illinois Workplace Transparency Act limits NDAs in employment settlements involving discrimination or harassment.

Employment attorneys by city in Illinois

Same Illinois rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in Illinois

All Illinois practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysIllinois holds dog owners strictly liable — the owner pays for unprovoked attacks even without prior knowledge of viciousness.

Business Dispute attorneysIllinois enforces non-competes only when they pass the courts’ reasonableness test — and state law sets income floors below which they can’t be enforced at all.

Car Accident attorneysIllinois is a fault state with 51% modified comparative — and mandatory uninsured-motorist coverage gives most plaintiffs a backup recovery layer.

Consumer Protection attorneysThe Illinois Consumer Fraud Act lets consumers recover actual damages plus attorney fees — and the state’s biometric-privacy law drives unique fingerprint and face-scan claims.

Criminal Defense attorneysIllinois eliminated cash bail in 2023 — pretrial release practice is now substantially different from most other states.

Defective Product attorneysIllinois holds manufacturers strictly liable for defective products, and the Illinois Supreme Court continues to shape how far that liability reaches.

Family Law attorneysIllinois divides marital property equitably — and state law presumptively splits property acquired during marriage between spouses.

Immigration attorneysIllinois is a Trust Act state — local law enforcement is restricted from cooperating with ICE detainers, which shapes detention and removal practice in Cook County.

Lemon Law attorneysIllinois’s Lemon Law covers manufacturer defects within 12 months/12,000 miles — narrower than many states, so timing is critical.

Medical Malpractice attorneysIllinois med-mal damages caps were struck down in 2010 — but the affidavit-of-merit requirement still gates every case.

Personal Injury attorneysA 2-year filing deadline and 51% modified comparative fault frame every Illinois PI case — Cook County culture often shapes settlement value.

Slip and Fall attorneysIllinois follows the natural-accumulation rule on snow and ice — landowners generally aren’t liable for natural ice unless they made the condition worse by their own actions.

Social Security Disability attorneysIllinois SSA hearing offices in Chicago, Oak Park, and Orland Park have moderate-to-long waits — counsel helps build the medical record SSA needs.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysThe Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission runs claims — and Illinois remains one of the more employee-friendly comp systems in the Midwest.

Illinois Employment Attorneys

How we match your Illinois employment case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with an employment claim in Illinois

Something happens at work.

Tell us what happened.

Your attorney builds the record.

Demand, or an agency charge.

Suit is filed if it has to be.

Settlement or judgment.

When to call an employment attorney in Illinois

Employment cases we take in Illinois

Race and national-origin discrimination

Sex, pregnancy, gender identity, and LGBTQ+ discrimination

Age discrimination (40+)

Disability discrimination and accommodation

Religious discrimination and accommodation

Retaliation and whistleblower

Wage and hour (Illinois + FLSA)

Independent-contractor misclassification

FMLA, VESSA, and Paid Leave for All Workers Act

Wrongful termination (public-policy)

Hostile work environment

Non-compete defense

How much do Illinois employment attorneys cost?

What your Illinois employment compensation can include

Back Pay

Front Pay

Compensatory Damages

Punitive Damages

Liquidated Damages

Attorney Fees and Costs

Illinois employment questions, answered

Employment attorneys by city in Illinois

Other case types in Illinois

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