Ameena Syed
ASSOCIATE
Ameena Syed applies her unique background and perspective in seeking holistic solutions to accommodate the specific needs of each individual client and family.
Ameena completed her undergraduate education at Loyola University Chicago, where she obtained her B.A. in Political Science and minored in Journalism, Arabic Language and Culture, and Urban Planning. While at Loyola, Ameena partnered with various non-profit organizations in the Chicagoland area, participating in a published research study regarding women’s rights in religious communities. She then completed her J.D. at DePaul University College of Law.
While attending law school, Ameena completed a research assistantship with a prominent professor of criminal law, exploring the legal implications of inter-planetary resource mining per existing United Nations treaties. She went on to participate in DePaul’s immigration legal clinic where she proudly represented a client filing for naturalization after having received lawful permanent residency under the Violence Against Women Act. Ameena also gained valuable litigation experience under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711, representing the City of Chicago in administrative proceedings prosecuting municipal violations. Ameena was awarded a CALI Award for Excellence in the study of Trial Advocacy.
After having her interest piqued in family law, Ameena clerked for the Honorable Mark J. Lopez in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Domestic Relations Division, where she observed countless trials, conferences, and other judicial proceedings, drafted court orders and judgments, conducted legal research, and interviewed pro se litigants. She joined Katz & Stefani as a law clerk while in law school, and as an attorney upon being sworn into the Illinois Bar.
Ameena has spoken at various continuing legal education seminars, on topics including immigration implications of drug convictions and methods of obtaining and evaluating financial information in dissolution proceedings. Ameena co-authors a chapter on Attorneys’ Fees in the 2023 Edition of Family Law: Preliminary Considerations in Dissolution Actions published by IICLE, and is a contributing editor to chapters concerning postnuptial agreements and unique employee benefits published in prior editions.
