Practicing Law in the Big Apple

Gerena Gregory ’16 wasn’t sure what to expect when she moved to Chicago to attend Chicago-Kent College of Law. But she had a feeling that the law school would support her, no matter what the future held. After all, the staff had already set a precedent.

“The admission staff were very helpful throughout the process and made me feel part of the Chicago-Kent community even before making the ultimate decision to attend the law school,” she says.

More than a decade later, Gregory is back in New York, where she earned her B.A. from City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice. But this time, she’s no longer a student—she’s an associate at Foster Garvey PC, specializing in corporate matters.

“I advise startups, emerging companies, and investors on a wide range of corporate matters and transactions, including entity formation, capitalization planning, and operational needs, helping founders and teams make strategic decisions from early stage through growth,” she says.

Her passion for helping entrepreneurs with their legal needs started at Chicago-Kent, where she participated in the entrepreneurial law clinic twice.

“Chicago-Kent provides multiple opportunities for real-world legal experience through its legal clinics, internships, and faculty who are or were practicing attorneys,” Gregory says. “This experience exposed me to client management, law firm operations, and prepared me to think critically when faced with different client matters.”

Just as the admission staff were helpful before she arrived at Chicago-Kent, faculty continued to support Gregory’s success while she was a student.

“Faculty were always accessible inside and outside of the classroom,” she says. “They helped to shape my law school experience by offering advice on how to navigate law school and my legal career.”

In addition, Gregory took advantage of the Office of Career Development and Professionalism to leverage her skills into career outcomes from her first semester.

“The advisers helped to plan out the opportunities and trainings available for employment and professional development, including job fairs, internship programs, and on-campus interviews,” she remembers.

After her hard work in law school, Gregory landed a clerkship with the Honorable Cynthia Y. Cobbs of the Illinois First District Appellate Court. When that concluded, she went on to practice: first at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, then at Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP and Thompson Hine LLP. She joined Foster Garvey in June 2025.

“I followed my passion to work with companies on general corporate matters, and in 2020, I began to learn more about venture capital deals and soon incorporated it into my practice,” she says.

Although she’s back in New York, Gregory fondly remembers her years of walking through Chicago’s “Loop” on her way to class.

“Although the winters are brutal, spring, summer, and even a bit of fall make it worth living in Chicago,” she says. “The location of the law school allowed me to immerse myself in the culture—especially the food scene.”

And though she may be far away, Gregory remains a part of the Chicago-Kent community.

“Chicago-Kent offers a uniquely balanced practical and theoretical education that prepares students for the real world, unlike other law schools,” she says.