Roya Samarghandi is The Chicago Bar Foundation’s (CBF) Chief Advocacy & Innovation Officer. Samarghandi plays a key role in the CBF’s mission through her work on legislative and policy advocacy, innovation initiatives, and the CBF Legal Aid Academy.
An alumna of the JEP, Samarghandi owned and ran her own practice, Carmel Law, LLC. In her practice, she provided a variety of legal services for her clients, in both a full scope and limited scope capacity and at an affordable rate. Samarghandi’s practice areas included family law, criminal defense, and orders of protection for survivors of domestic violence. In 2022, Samarghandi was named as one of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin’s “40 Under 40” attorneys to watch.
Samarghandi received her JD from the University of Illinois College of Law, and she also holds a Masters of Law Degree in International Human Rights from the University of Nottingham School of Law (U.K.). Her BA is in Political Science from Miami University (Ohio).
Samarghandi is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, but now considers Chicago home. She loves spending time enjoying Chicago’s many wonderful restaurants and attending live music concerts.