Marjorie Hughes

Managed investigators, policy analysts, and administrative staff to support compliance with federal and state nondiscrimination and disability laws. Developed civil rights policies and training, led internal investigations and discipline strategy, and served on the agency’s Civil Rights Committee.

Served as IDOT’s Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, analyzing workforce data for hiring trends and reporting progress to executive leadership and external stakeholders.

Developed language access policies, monitored service usage trends, and created internal training to educate employees on available services for members of the public.

Managed the agency’s compliance with federal nondiscrimination laws under Title VI.

Counseled FHWA executive staff on legal matters involving environmental, real estate, civil rights, and grant administration. Drafted land transfer documents and supported caselaw research and administrative/legal inquiries.

Developed FHWA’s first non-discrimination compliance assessment tool and supported related national Title VI review initiatives. Led audits, complaint investigations, and stakeholder-facing technical guidance for Title VI compliance.

Oversaw civil rights law compliance for over 140 federally funded transit agencies in the Midwestern region, including compliance reviews, audits, complaint investigations, and training. Advised on DBE, EEO, Title VI, and ADA-related requirements and supported development of external and internal civil rights guidance.

Coordinated office response and preparation for a peer review by interviewing management, evaluating policies and procedures, and compiling corrective actions. Conducted legal and audit-plan research related to disparate impact and police misconduct accountability.

Managed a regulatory compliance unit responding to FTA and RTA audits, developing corrective action plans, and tracking audit close-out progress to leadership and regulators. Counseled staff on federal regulatory revisions, supported inspector general investigations, and developed internal compliance policies and procedures.

Handled complex civil litigation matters, including drafting a petition for writ of mandamus and arguing procedural motions and discovery issues. Conducted depositions and analyzed civil procedure issues for corporate clients.

Supported business litigation trials involving breach of contract and misrepresentation claims, including trial preparation and courtroom evidence and jury selection support.

Assisted in business litigation, including preparing pleadings and discovery materials and drafting legal memoranda on civil procedure and contract and tort elements.

Served as the President’s Office liaison to the Chairman’s Office and Board of Directors, coordinating board meeting materials and board member briefings. Managed intake and resolution of inspector general audits and researched and proposed administrative policy revisions.

Prepared an appellate brief for a criminal defendant, citing constitutional rights violations at trial.

Researched Illinois and federal case law related to pre-trial motions and analyzed motion outcomes to draft weekly bench memos for the judge.

Pre-tried building violation cases by analyzing evidence, negotiating settlement agreements, and assessing fines while proposing efficiency improvements aligned with code compliance.

Activities and societies: Frederick Green Internal Moot Court Competition; IL Business Law Journal, Staff Writer (Real Estate Section).

Earned a J.D. in 2008, with involvement in internal moot court and legal writing through the Illinois Business Law Journal.

Earned a B.A. in English (Creative Writing emphasis) in 2004.