Irene Rizzolatti

Ms. Rizzolatti was born in Milan, Italy, and grew up in Pavia, Italy. After graduating high school in Italy and spending a semester as an exchange student in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, she returned to the United States and attended the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, where she earned her bachelors in Political Science and Spanish. During her undergraduate studies, she attended a semester at the University of Valladolid, Spain, studying the Spanish language, and traveling to other European countries. Ms. Rizzolatti attended law school in Chicago at the University of Illinois graduating with honors.

During law school, Ms. Rizzolatti focused her studies in international law and immigration law. She was a Student Attorney for two consecutive semesters at the UIC International Human Rights Clinic where she represented individuals in asylum proceedings as well as published reports related to human rights abroad and in the United States. She had the privilege to attend the United Nations 107th Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva, Switzerland. During law school Ms. Rizzolatti was also a law clerk for the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic where she supported the representation of clients in need of immigration benefits, specifically. victims of crimes and VAWA applicants and provided “know your immigration rights” presentations to immigrant communities.