Aaron J. Kacel

Aaron counsels employers on various aspects of labor and employment law, including internal investigations, employee discipline, labor relations, workplace policies, and state and federal labor and employment law matters under the Illinois Human Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, Title VII, and other laws. Aaron also represents employers in traditional labor law matters including labor arbitration and grievance proceedings and collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

Aaron represents employers in litigation and before administrative agencies including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Illinois Department of Labor.

Aaron provides training to employers on internal investigation best practices, avoiding charges of unlawful discrimination and harassment in the workplace, and awareness and management of implicit bias in various sectors.

Aaron is the Associate Representative to Robbins Schwartz’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Committee.

Prior to joining Robbins Schwartz, Aaron served as in-house employment law counsel for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. He has previously worked for the City of Chicago and a large, international law firm. During law school, he served as Managing Executive Editor of the Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy and President and Founder of the Northwestern Labor & Employment Law Society. He also served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Judge Joan B. Gottschall of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Education

• J.D., Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
• B.A., Washington University in St. Louis, magna cum laude, high distinction

Admitted to Practice

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• Supreme Court of Illinois

Organizations

• Secretary, Associate Board, Lawyers for the Creative Arts
• Chair, Labor and Employment Committee, Chicago Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section
• Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary, Board of Directors, About Face Theatre (2018-2021)

Recent Publications

• Co-Author, “Seventh Circuit Addresses Employer Liability for Coworker and Supervisor Harassment and Challenges in Establishing Claims For Retaliation, Defamation, and IIED,” Employment and Labor Law Flashpoints, IICLE (2023)
• When It Happens to You: Responding to Reports of Harassment and Discrimination, Law Arts Blog, Lawyers for the Creative Arts (July 2022)

Recent Presentations

• Navigating Payroll Laws: Wages and Record Keeping Requirements, Illinois Association of School Business Officials Bookkeepers Conference (March 2023)
• The Peanut Butter and Jelly Effect: Understanding Implicit Bias and Its Impact on Educators, Illinois Association of School Administrators Legal Workshop (February 2023)
• 2022 Hot Topics in Labor and Employment Law, Chicago Bar Association (February 2023)