Felicia L. Frazier

An experienced negotiator concentrating in labor and education law, Felicia Frazier, managing partner at Odelson, Sterk, Murphey, Frazier & McGrath Ltd., chairs the firm’s labor practice group. After graduating from John Marshall Law School, Felicia began her career as an assistant state’s attorney for Cook County, trying domestic violence cases. She has been with the firm for the past 20 years and has been senior managing partner for five years, overseeing municipal and school district clients. Her practice focuses on aspects of labor and representing municipalities and school districts.

Felicia was the first female partner and chair of the labor department at the firm, which was founded 49 years ago. She helped grow the firm from five to 21 attorneys and is in charge of all personnel at the firm. She has served as a role model and mentor to the eight other female attorneys at the firm, two of whom are partners. She guides these attorneys in labor and negotiations; navigating governmental board meetings and advising elected officials in municipal and school practice; formulating policy; and handling discipline/discharge and harassment matters. Felicia’s open-door policy for all the attorneys in the firm has afforded them the opportunity to excel in their areas of practice (also evidenced by two female associates becoming partners). Felicia also serves as a mentor and role model to the firm’s non-attorney staff, which is almost entirely female.

Felicia has had tremendous success in the male-dominated field of representation of units of government. She has been the appointed attorney for the Village of Calumet Park, Posen-Robbins School District 1431⁄2 and Cook County School District No. 104 for many years. She was appointed in June 2017 as the new village attorney in the Village of Matteson and reappointed as the village attorney in the Village of Park Forest. Additionally, she serves as attorney for ATU Local 241, the union for Chicago’s bus operators and mechanics. Felicia is regularly called on to present at labor law seminars. She is one of the few female presenters and certainly one of the very few African American presenters.

In 2018, Felicia was name as one of Crain’s Chicago’s Notable Women Lawyers and was one of four recipients of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois Top Women Lawyers in Leadership Awards. In 2019, Felicia was honored by Crain’s as one of the year’s Notable Minorities in Law.

As passionate as she is about her career, she is equally passionate about helping the homeless and victims of domestic violence. Felicia regularly volunteers at St. John Church’s homeless kitchen. She also regularly donates to Family Rescue, which services victims of domestic violence. Felicia is a member of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, Black Women Lawyers’ Association and is on the Teen Esteem Board for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She has also participated in Langston Hughes Elementary School Career Day, speaking about the road to becoming an attorney.