Title: Legal Assistant
Company: Epstein Becker & Green PC
Location: Wheaton, Illinois, United States
Jennifer M. Cross, Legal Assistant at Epstein Becker & Green PC, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Legal Services.
Ms. Cross has established herself in the legal field, currently serving as a legal assistant at Epstein Becker & Green PC since 2019. In this capacity, she plays an integral role in supporting attorneys with the preparation of briefs for submission to the federal appellate court. Ms. Cross’s responsibilities include utilizing advanced software, such as Litera and Best Authority, to generate tables of contents and authorities, as well as iManage Document Retention to manage case files. She also conducts meticulous proofreading before documents are submitted for attorney review and filing. Notably, Ms. Cross is currently serving as the lead legal assistant for a high-profile federal case against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., underscoring her expertise and reliability in complex litigation environments.
Before joining Epstein Becker & Green PC, Ms. Cross contributed to Littler Mendelson PC for over a decade, beginning in 2007, as a legal secretary. During her tenure, she supported attorneys by preparing legal documents, maintaining organized records, and facilitating communication between clients and legal teams. Ms. Cross’s organizational skills and dedication were instrumental in streamlining office operations.
From 2004 to 2007, Ms. Cross served in the same capacity at Wolin, Kelter & Rosen Ltd., where she further honed her administrative abilities within a fast-paced legal environment. She managed document preparation, scheduling and client correspondence, building a foundation for her subsequent roles. Ms. Cross began her professional journey as a paralegal at Edelman Combs Latturner & Goodwin, LLC in 2002. In this position, she gained valuable experience in legal research, drafting pleadings and supporting attorneys throughout various stages of litigation.
In addition to her legal career, Ms. Cross has demonstrated leadership within the writing community as an organizer for Just Write Chicago from 2011 to 2019, where she was also a member for almost 10 years. She was instrumental in assisting over 4,000 writers of all backgrounds who contributed their writing expertise across various categories.
Ms. Cross’s academic background includes earning a Bachelor of Arts in international relations with a minor in French from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2002. This educational foundation has been instrumental in shaping her analytical skills, cultural awareness and ability to navigate complex issues, qualities that have contributed significantly to her professional accomplishments. Ms. Cross also holds several certifications, including certificates in digital marketing and social media marketing, and is a certified notary public from the State of Illinois, enhancing her versatility within both legal practice and community engagement.
Beyond work, Ms. Cross is actively engaged in civic initiatives, including donating clothing and accessories to Goodwill Industries International. Through these efforts, she is able to continually support individuals from diverse backgrounds. Moreover, as a second-degree black belt and practitioner of taekwondo, Ms. Cross’s martial arts journey has instilled resilience, focus and dedication, traits that continue to inform her approach professionally and personally.
Ms. Cross’s dedication and deep history of being involved in the science fiction and fantasy community have included advocating for the representation of marginalized identities and stories within the genre. She has served as an invited speaker and moderator at the 2016 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association Nebula Conference. Between 2014 and 2019, she spoke on or moderated panels at nationally recognized conventions, such as the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) and WisCon, the first feminist-centered science fiction and fantasy convention in the U.S. Ms. Cross also served on WisCon’s convention committee as programming co-chair from 2018 to 2019. Additionally, she participated in DePaul University’s annual Celebration of Pop Culture Conferences between 2014 and 2017, following her tenure as a guest lecturer at the college of communication and media studies on campus in 2015 and 2017.
Reflecting on her career, Ms. Cross recalls several notable professional achievements, including her pivotal role in assisting her supervisors with a significant case in the District of Massachusetts. She was responsible for ensuring that all deadlines were accurately posted on the calendars of approximately eight attorneys representing plaintiffs, as well as managing deadlines for two related federal appellate cases. Ms. Cross’s duties extended to proofreading briefs and motions for filing, demonstrating her exceptional attention to detail and commitment to team success.
Throughout her life, Ms. Cross has attributed her success to extensive self-reflection and thoughtful processing, qualities that enable her to remain present while maintaining a forward-looking perspective. Looking ahead, she aspires to become the lead litigation assistant at her firm with an emphasis on fostering cohesion among litigation assistants through shared training experiences based on location. Notably, this goal was highlighted in Ms. Cross’s last review, which emphasized the need for consolidation within the firm, though its realization depends on human resources.
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