From the Arch to the Lakefront: Erin Brooks, JD ('10)

Kansas City native Erin Brooks, (’10), still remembers the March day in 2023 when she and her husband packed up their car, cat in tow, and drove north from their home in St. Louis to Chicago. The move was more than a change of scenery; it was the next step in a career defined by resilience and connection.

Just a year later, she was named office managing partner of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner’s Chicago office. Her office currently comprises about 80 colleagues, with approximately 40 of them being attorneys, reflecting both the scale and collaborative spirit of the team. Today, more than two years into the Chicago chapter of her career, Brooks continues to draw on her St. Louis roots as she builds bridges between colleagues, clients, and fellow alumni across the Midwest.

Charting a Legal Path

A first-generation lawyer, Brooks knew early on that a career in law was likely in her future. “Law school was always something that I thought about pursuing. Ever since I was a young child, my parents can attest to [my dream to become a lawyer],” she recalled.

At SLU LAW, she pursued opportunities that laid the foundation for her career. She spent a summer with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in its civil actions unit before joining BCLP (formerly known as Bryan Cave) as a summer associate in 2009. After graduation, she clerked for Judge Kathianne Knaup Crane (’71) at the Missouri Court of Appeals. That year, she said, gave her “a good perspective for what it meant to be a lawyer and what your responsibilities are to the court and to judges.” When she joined then-Bryan Cave as an attorney, she began cultivating the national environmental law practice she leads today.

Leading in Chicago

Brooks lived in St. Louis from 2007 until 2023, when she relocated to Chicago. The move, she said, allowed her to stay true to her Midwestern roots while expanding into a dynamic new market. “The Chicago legal community has been so warm and welcoming, and it’s a place where folks are looking to create community and connections,” she said.

“Having been with the firm for well over a decade gave me a rich experience observing lots of our leaders in action,” she explained. Her leadership philosophy centers on creating an office where colleagues feel valued and supported. “When our colleagues feel supported, they engage — and they proactively seek to create,” Erin says, reflecting on current initiatives led by her colleagues.

Strengthening the Alumni Thread

Though her office is now in Chicago, Brooks remains proud of BCLP’s St. Louis heritage. Founded in the city more than 150 years ago, the firm’s legacy mirrors her own trajectory: firmly grounded in the Midwest, yet national in scope.

The same is true of her connection to SLU LAW. “An alumni base is really incredible because it is the tether through time that connects generations of students,” she said. From her years as a managing editor on the Saint Louis University Law Journal to alumni events today, those bonds have grown into enduring relationships with classmates who are now partners, clients, and friends. In Chicago, Brooks sees herself as part of a “moderate force but mighty” alumni base. She hopes to strengthen the pipeline between SLU LAW graduates and opportunities in the Chicago market. She also sees that opportunity for recent graduates as well. Her advice to young alumni is simple: put yourself out there. “There is no substitute for building your network by rolling up your sleeves,” she said.

Looking Ahead

“I feel very motivated to stay a meaningful part of the Chicago alumni community and to continue to look back and create a pipeline to create additional [opportunities] for SLU LAW alumni,” she said. And while her professional life centers on leading an office and advising clients on high-stakes environmental issues, Brooks finds balance in simpler joys, such as long walks along Chicago’s lakefront with her husband or reconnecting with old classmates at alumni gatherings. As she put it, bridging communities is both her professional calling and her personal delight.

This article was originally published in the SLU LAW Brief alumni magazine issue 2025.