Gretchen Ekerdt began practicing immigration law in Chicago in 2011 and joined Kempster, Corcoran, Quiceno & Lenz-Calvo, Ltd. in 2017. Ms. Ekerdt’s focus on immigration law includes family and employment cases, as well as removal defense. She was recognized as an Emerging Lawyer in immigration law by Leading Lawyers in 2018, and selected by Super Lawyers as a 2019 Illinois Rising Star. While in college, Ms. Ekerdt studied in León, Spain.  During law school, she interned at the National Immigrant Justice Center and the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender.

Education
  • DePaul University College of Law, Magna Cum Laude, 2011
    • CALI Excellence for the Future Award for highest mark in Foreign Relations
  • College of the Holy Cross, B.A., 2004
Admissions
  • State of Illinois
Professional Associations & Membership
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Chicago Chapter (Customs and Border Protection Liaison, committee member, 2017-present; Ethics Committee, co-chair, 2014-2017, member, 2013-2014; Immigration & Customs Enforcement Office of Chief Counsel Liaison, committee member, 2014-2016)
  • Chicago Bar Association
Invited Speaker
  • AILA, Chicago Chapter Ethics Conference, " They Want us to Give them What?!," Discussion leader, May 5, 2017, Chicago, Illinois
  • AILA, Chicago Chapter Litigation Conference, "Inadmissibility and 245i- Tricks of the Trade," Panel member, November 20, 2015, Chicago, Illinois
  • AILA, Chicago Chapter Ethics Conference, "Effectively representing the LGBT client," Discussion leader, May 1, 2015, Chicago, Illinois
  • AILA, Chicago Chapter Ethics Conference, " Ready, Set, Done! Beginning and Ending Representation," Discussion leader, May 2, 2014, Chicago, Illinois
Languages  
  • Spanish