Laura Beasley and Emily O'Connor Named 2026 Illinois Legal Leaders Honorees

Baker Sterchi Member Laura Beasley and attorney Emily O’Connor have been selected as honorees in Missouri Lawyers Media’s inaugural Illinois Legal Leaders program. Beasley has been recognized in the Leaders in the Law category, while O’Connor has been recognized in the Up & Coming Lawyers category. Both are based in the firm’s Belleville office.

The Illinois Legal Leaders program celebrates legal professionals who have shaped the profession and advanced the practice of law across southern Illinois. Leaders in the Law recognizes members of the bar who have made important contributions to the practice of law, the local legal community or the community at large. Up & Coming Lawyers recognizes attorneys with 10 years or less in practice.

Beasley has tried nearly 50 cases before juries in state and federal courts. Her practice includes personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, pharmaceutical and medical device, employment and environmental matters. She is a past president of Illinois Defense Counsel and currently serves as the Illinois state representative for DRI and as a member of the ADTA Executive Council Class of 2027. Beasley also serves as a hearing board officer for the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission and is licensed to practice in Illinois and Missouri.

O’Connor defends railroads in Federal Employers’ Liability Act cases and represents governmental entities, including county departments and agencies, municipalities and port districts. She is a 2026 Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and a member of DRI’s Employment and Labor Law Committee, Workers’ Compensation Committee and Women in the Law Committee, as well as the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel. O’Connor earned her law degree from Northern Illinois University College of Law and is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Missouri.