A criminal attorney and prosecutor for nearly seven years, Juliet Sorensen invests her work with impeccable professional and academic records. Born to notable speechwriter and attorney Ted Sorensen and diplomat Gillian Sorensen, Juliet Sorensen benefited from her early exposure to high-ranking political operatives and developed an early interest in governmental affairs. An exemplary student in high school, Juliet Sorensen gained admission to Princeton University, where for four years she studied a wide range of subjects, including politics, French, and Near Eastern studies. In the midst of her academic career at Princeton, Juliet Sorensen spent a semester abroad at Paris Diderot University (Université de Paris VII) and honed her understanding of foreign affairs and the French language. In addition, Juliet Sorensen passed the summer of 1993 as an intern for The International Herald Tribune in Paris. Graduating cum laude from Princeton in June 1995, Juliet Sorensen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and a Certificate in Near Eastern Studies.
Following graduation from Princeton, Juliet Sorensen joined the United States Peace Corps as a Maternal and Child Health Volunteer in Morocco. From July 1995 through July 1997, Juliet Sorensen lived and worked in the Tinzouline region, where she focused her time and energy on various projects to improve sanitation, sustainability, and public health education. Returning to the U.S. at the end of this period, Juliet Sorensen enrolled at Columbia Law School in New York City and continued to pursue her interests in global affairs. An honors student at Columbia Law School, Juliet Sorensen won a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholarship and served as Articles Editor for the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law. In May 2000, Juliet Sorensen graduated with a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School and soon began a one-year clerkship under Federal Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. in Boston. Upon successful completion of her clerkship, Juliet Sorensen became an associate at Foley Hoag LLP and, later, an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
Beginning in August 2010, Juliet Sorensen will serve as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law at the Northwestern University School of Law and a Senior Lecturer at the Kellogg School of Management.
Juliet Sorensen - U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Juliet Sorensen
October, 2010
A graduate of Columbia Law School, Juliet Sorensen previously applied her skills at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. From 2003 to 2010, Juliet Sorensen served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuting a number of high-profile criminal cases involving public corruption, immigration law, mortgage fraud, and other violations of federal law. During this time, Juliet Sorensen acted as a lead prosecutor in Operation Crooked Code, an investigation into corruption at the City of Chicago’s Building and Zoning departments. In collaboration with the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the City of Chicago Inspector General’s Office, U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald set out to prove that a number of developers in the greater Chicago area paid bribes to city officials in order to circumvent certain zoning, safety, and permitting laws. One of the primary defendants, real estate developer and contractor Beny Garneata, pled guilty in September 2009 and was sentenced to two years imprisonment. City employees facilitated Mr. Garneata’s illegal activities by writing fraudulent inspection reports and issuing false certificates in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribes.
In addition to Mr. Garneata, the government charged more than two dozen individuals in Operation Crooked Code. Jose Hernandez, a prominent city building inspector, was found guilty of accepting $1,000 in cash from a builder who agreed to cooperate in the investigation. In exchange for the money, Mr. Hernandez signed off on construction permits for homes he never once set foot in. Other witnesses in the case against Mr. Hernandez included Stanley Wozniak, the proprietor of a nightclub located on North Dearborn Avenue. Mr. Wozniak swore under oath that Mr. Hernandez agreed to ignore a stop-work order for a one-time payment of $2,000. A jury convicted Mr. Hernandez on all counts in the indictment in September 2010.
Juliet Sorensen and the UNA-USA Greater Chicago Chapter, Juliet Sorensen
June, 2011
[The UN Foundation’s UNA-USA Strategic Alliance]
Throughout her career, Juliet Sorensen has utilized her legal and business acumen to contribute to an array of nonprofit organizations and charitable causes around the world. Since 2005, Sorensen has participated as a Board Member for the Greater Chicago Chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA). Operating in conjunction with the World Federation of United Nations Association, the UNA-USA strives to inform Americans about the work of the United Nations and promote international tolerance and cooperation. The Greater Chicago Chapter serves as one of the major branches of UNA-USA, organizing a variety of public programs and educational initiatives for citizens in the region. Most of the work at the organization is carried out by task forces, including:
The College Consortium In an effort to increase participation in the United Nations’ programs, UNA Chicago recently initiated the College Consortium, bringing together young people from universities across the city. Through Social Engagement Groups, these students are connected with nonprofit organizations that perform community service throughout the Chicago metropolitan region. The primary goal is to raise awareness and work towards the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which include promoting gender equality, environmental sustainability, maternal health, universal education, child health, and the eradication of HIV/AIDS, hunger, and poverty.
Haiti Relief Shortly after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in 2010, UNA Chicago raised more than $10,000 and assembled a healthcare team to provide medical relief. The organization recently supported another relief team that worked together with the DuSable Heritage Association to address new concerns in the country, such as election rioting, a hurricane, and the cholera epidemic.
Global Wake-Up! Designed to promote the United Nations Millennium Development Goals through creative arts like film and literature, the Global Wake-Up! is a two-day festival that will debut in the fall of 2011. The event, which will include free film screenings, panel discussions, and workshops, will take place at Film Row Cinema at Columbia College.
More information about the Chicago Chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America and the chapter’s programs can be found at www.unachicago.org.
