Leslie Hairston
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leslie Hairston | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Hairston in 2012 | |
| Member of the Chicago City Council from the 5th ward | |
| In office May 1999 – May 15, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara Holt |
| Succeeded by | Desmon Yancy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 17, 1961 |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Wisconsin, Madison (BA) Loyola University Chicago (JD) |
Leslie Hairston (born July 17, 1961) is an American politician who previously served as alderperson of the 5th ward of the City of Chicago from her first election in 1999 until retiring in 2023. Hairston is a Hyde Park native. As alderman, she represented the ward in the Chicago City Council along with representatives from the 49 other Chicago wards. She was re-elected in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.
Hairston was born in Chicago and grew up in the Hyde Park and South Shore neighborhoods. She is an alumna of the University of Chicago Lab Schools.[1] Hariston earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin, and her J.D. degree from Loyola University School of Law.[2] Before becoming alderman, Hairston was in a private law practice.
Public service
Hairston worked in Springfield as an Assistant Attorney General. She also handled litigation for the office of the Illinois Attorney's Appellate Prosecutor's Office, where she argued before the Illinois Supreme Court. She is a member of the South Shore Cultural Center Advisory Council, the Jackson Park Advisory Council, and the O'Keeffe Area Council. She was a member of the McFarland Mental Health Center with the Illinois Department of Mental Health and Development Disabilities and a former beat facilitator for CAPS. Hairston is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
