www.negociosnow.com
March 2020 9
Age: 33
Title: Chief Legal Counsel
Name of Organization: Illinois
Department of Labor
Yolanda Carrillo is an em-
ployment attorney focusing on
labor and employment law with
an emphasis on litigation and
government compliance.
Yolanda Carrillo currently
serves as the chief legal counsel
for the Illinois Department of
Labor which is responsible for
the administration and enforce-
ment of 25 labor and safety laws.
She serves as the attorney for the
agency, providing her expertise
to the director on legal matters
and advising on areas of enfor-
cement and policy.
Prior to this position, Carri-
llo focused on providing direct
legal representation to workers
and managed a statewide far-
mworker project. She focused
her work on increasing access
to legal services for agricultu-
ral workers in Illinois involving
employment as well as housing,
public benefits and immigra-
tion issues. She also served as
the legal director of an orga-
nization seeking to advance
the rights of low-wage workers
through litigation and advoca-
cy. She assisted workers in re-
couping lost wages and worked
on legislative efforts at the state
and local level.
She currently serves as a
board member of a nonprofit
she co-founded, Neighbors for
Environmental Justice, which
seeks to health and environmen-
tal issues on the Southwest Side
of Chicago. She is also a cohort
member of the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation Program –
Culture of Health Leaders, a lea-
dership development program
meant to assist its leaders in ad-
vancing health and equity.
Carrillo was born and raised
on the Southeast Side of Chicago
to parents of Mexican descent.
She received her Bachelor of Arts
from Davidson College and her
Juris Doctor degree from the De-
Paul University College of Law.
Yolanda Carrillo
Labor
Advocate
WORDS OF WISDOM:
"W
ork hard, do not let fear or
self-doubt stop you from
taking on a new challenge, do not be
afraid to admit you were wrong and
always remember to recognize the
work and input of others."
