Leslie Hairston

<!--This article uses the Cite.php citation mechanism. If you would like more information on how to add references to this article, please see and . Thanks, the members of WikiProject Chicago.-->Leslie Hairston is alderman of the 5th ward of the City of Chicago; she was elected in 1999. She was re-elected in 2003 & 2007.

Early life

Hairston is a Chicago native; she grew up in the Hyde Park and South Shore neighborhoods. She earned her bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin, and her law degree from Loyola University School of Law. Before becoming alderman, Hairston was in a private law practice.

Public service

Hairston worked in Springfield as an Assistant Attorney General. She also handled litigation for the office of the Illinois Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor’s Office, where she argued before the Illinois Supreme Court.She is a member of the South Shore Cultural Center Advisory Council, the Jackson Park Advisory Council, and the O’Keeffe Area Council. She was a member of the McFarland Mental Health Center with the Illinois Department of Mental Health and Development Disabilities and a former beat facilitator for CAPS. Hairston is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Aldermanic career

Hairston was elected in 1999, when she defeated an incumbent in her first race. She sits on five committees: Buildings; Rules and Ethics; Human Relations; Parks and Recreation; and Special Events and...
Read More