Laura Jelinek joined the Housing Justice Center in August 2026 as Director of Litigation. She has 30 years of experience representing clients as a housing attorney. Laura began her career as an AmeriCorps VISTA attorney at SMRLS, a Legal Services program based in St. Paul. She conducted outreach and provided direct legal assistance to homeless individuals. She then led SMRLS’ Housing Equality Law Project litigating fair housing cases throughout the southern part of the state. She was most recently SMRLS metro regional leader. Laura has litigated case in both state and federal court. She has both trial and appellate practice experience. Laura has a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law and a B.A. from Knox College.