Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

Fil-Am Aurora Abella-Austriaco wears many hats. Aside from serving as a principal attorney of Austriaco & Associates, Ltd., Abella-Austriaco is also an active member of the Cook County, Illinois community.

Abella-Austriaco, a Cook County resident, is serving her seventh term as Chair of the Cook County States Attorney Asian Advisory Council, in her ninth year as commissioner for the Cook County Human Rights Commission and also a commissioner for the Park Ridge Building and Zoning Commission.

A graduate of De Paul University, she worked as an attorney at Peck Bloom Austriaco & Koenig, LLC before forming her own legal form Austriaco & Associates. As a principal attorney at Austriaco & Associates, she focuses on commercial and real estate transaction, construction and real estate litigation, and mortgage fraud, among other cases.

As a commissioner of the Cook County Human Rights Commission, she is part of a commission that protects all people who live and work in the County from discrimination and sexual harassment in employment, public accommodations, housing, credit transactions, County services and County contracting. As commissioner, she is part of nine members that investigate, conciliate and conduct hearings on complaints of discrimination; and develop and conduct educational programs designed to prevent discrimination.

As an appointed member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, she is among nine members who hears and reviews all applications for zoning amendments, planned developments, special uses, pre-annexation agreements, subdivisions, site plans and changes in B-4 Commercial Conservation Districts, and street alley vacations. The commission also makes recommendations on the adoption of or amendment to the Comprehensive Plan.

Aside from serving her community, Abella-Austriaco is very active in her legal profession, once serving as President of the Asian American Institute, sitting on the Board of Governors of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Illinois and serving as Treasurer of the Chicago Bar Association. She was also recently appointed Chicago Bar Association delegate to the ABA House of Delegates and appointed as Chair of the Tellers Committee for the House of Delegates.