Still in her 30s, Alison Anixter is emerging as one of Chicago's more capable, effective - and promising - young matrimonial lawyers. Peers say that, given her early range of experience as an advocate and litigator in complex divorce cases, she's likely to stand out among a new generation of Chicagoland divorce lawyers in the years ahead. Indeed, Anixter - focused, competitive and comfortable working with people of all backgrounds - has already assumed an important role at O'Connor Family Law, where she has emerged as the firm's rising practitioner. "In a short time Alison has earned an important place in our firm," says founding partner Gail O'Connor, herself one of Chicago's most respected independent divorce lawyers. "Alison has unique combination of skills that have made her very effective for our clients. She makes a difference." By all accounts, Anixter, who grew up in Glencoe, IL, brings many of the instincts for enterprise and hard work that her parents and grandparents displayed for decades: Anixter's father, grandfather and great grandfather owned and operated Englewood Electrical Supply and later Advance Electrical Supply. The family was involved in the industry for almost a century. The family sold the business in 2015. But all along, Alison Anixter has her eyes on being a lawyer, inspired, in part, by her mother's career as a legal secretary in a criminal-defense practice. "If she'd had the opportunity - like women do today - to go to law school, my mother would have been an excellent lawyer. But in a way she was: She was immersed in the law, and had a lawyer's mind." Growing up in Glencoe - "a tight-knit and idyllic community, with high expectations" - Alison attended New Trier High School, "a pretty typical and tradition-minded kid who played every sport and knew everyone." Teachers at the famously competitive high school "weren't shy in telling you what it took to be successful." She went off to George Washington University, in DC's Foggy Bottom and blocks from The White House, majoring in psychology but taking in much more: "I found myself being a part of big events, political events, marches, protests, which seemed to assemble every day. It was what you might call a spontaneous education. And Washington is a tremendously diverse city, a world away from Glencoe." After graduating she worked for a year in Chicago, then attended law school while clerking at a well respected and well known family law firm. She returned to Chicago, in part, to be closer to family. With a background in psychology ("It's really a study of why people do what they do, and their complexities") Anixter went to law school with an eye on becoming a divorce lawyer. "It's one of those areas of the law where you feel you can make an immediate and personal difference." She worked filing orders of protection on behalf of abused spouses at the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic, in downtown Chicago. "Much of the abuse was psychological - a type that's often ignored or not identified." From there, and rather uniquely, Anixter worked at three firms in succession; from a large firm that focused on high-net worth clients to a solo practitioner with moderate-income clients. The vast range of cases, and the various work cultures, gave Anixter a lot of early insights on the profession, and how best to practice it. "I knew I had to work in a collaborative environment, where good communication - among partners, with clients - was central to the culture." When she joined the O'Connor firm two years ago, Anixter was, in many respects, well experienced for a lawyer still early in her career. "I had handled cases from beginning to end, something not every young lawyer gets to do." Moreover, Anixter already has a track record not simply in Cook County, with its busy docket, but also in Lake and DuPage counties as well. "I know the courts, their procedures, and I know many of the judges, and I feel that's an important advantage." Today Anixter manages a varied and demanding caseload, and works closely with O'Connor on cases throughout the region. The O'Connor firm is known for representing a range of clients, from Spanish-speaking working people to affluent families with complex business and financial issues. "Our clients run the gamut. We're a growing firm, and a lot of that has to with our openness, our results, and Gail's reputation as a no-nonsense attorney. I've already learned an enormous amount from her." Away from the office Alison Anixter enjoys "being out of doors every chance I get," and being with her family - her husband and young daughter. While she confesses to being "terrible at golf," she says she's learning to enjoy it. "Everyone in our family works hard - they always have - and I like to think I am carrying on that tradition."