Donyelle L. Gray

Donyelle L. Gray has a diverse work experience spanning over several years. Donyelle L. is currently the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, a position they have held since June 2023. Prior to that, they worked as the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer at the same office from October 2018 to June 2023.

Before joining the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Donyelle served as the General Counsel at the Illinois Human Rights Commission from May 2012 to October 2018. In this role, they were responsible for managing a team of attorneys and support staff, as well as serving as the Secretary to the Board of Commissioners.

Donyelle also worked as an Attorney/Associate at the Law Offices of Ellen E. Douglass from August 1999 to May 2008. During their time there, they successfully won a summary judgment for a client in a federal district court in a Civil Rights lawsuit and defended the judgment before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Their practice primarily focused on commercial law, insurance law, and Civil Rights law.

Additionally, Donyelle has experience working as a Case Law Editor at LexisNexis, where they wrote and edited case law summaries for the legal research database. Donyelle L. held this position from January 2001 to January 2005.

Earlier in their career, Donyelle worked as a Research Assistant to Professor Dorothy Roberts at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Donyelle L. contributed to various conference papers and journal submissions related to race and the child welfare system.

Donyelle also completed internship roles at BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST (BPI), where they conducted research for Seventh Circuit appellate court briefs, and at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, where they worked as a Law Clerk and assisted with delinquency proceedings and parole hearings.

Donyelle L. began their career at DePaul University as an Editor, Researcher, and Office Assistant for the American Studies Program, where they researched and compiled resources and served as the editor of the program's newsletter.

Through their various roles, Donyelle has gained extensive experience in areas such as diversity, equity, and inclusion; equal employment opportunity; civil rights law; commercial law; insurance law; legal research; and working with the child welfare system.

Donyelle L. Gray obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in American Studies, focusing on African American studies concentration, from DePaul University in 1996. From 1996 to 1999, they attended the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, where they earned a Juris Doctor (JD) degree specializing in Law. Additionally, in April 2023, they obtained a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Certificate from the American Management Association.