ATTORNEY PROFILES
Heather Ross
Heather brings a diverse transactional and litigation practice to Ross & Zuckerman LLP and a vested, personal interest to fertility issues. Prior to forming Ross & Zuckerman, LLP she worked for the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago representing low-income women in various civil matters, including family law and juvenile court. Before her work at the Legal Assistance Foundation, Heather spent three years in private practice primarily engaged in the drafting and negotiation of complex financial transactions. After experiencing several years of personal struggles with infertility, Heather co-founded Ross & Zuckerman LLP to focus her energy and legal practice on helping others facing similar struggles in family building.
Since forming Ross & Zuckerman LLP in 2005, Heather has represented thousands of clients in gamete donation, embryo donation and gestational surrogacy arrangements. She is also a frequent lecturer and writer in this area and has presented at numerous professional organizations on issues involving assisted reproductive technology, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, the American Bar Association, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Family Equality Council, The Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy, and the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education. As a legal aid attorney dealing with life-impacting issues for almost a decade, several years of practice in contract negotiation, and personal experience with infertility, Heather brings compassion and understanding to the many challenges facing all participants in assisted reproductive technology.
Professional Memberships:
- American Society of Reproductive Medicine
- Past Chair to the Legal Professional Group
- Fellow with the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys
- Member, Legislative Response Team
- Family Equality Council
- Past Chair to Legal Advisory Council (formerly known as Path2Parenthood)
- The LGBT Bar
- The Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy
- Resolve
- Professional Member of the American Bar Association’s Assisted Reproductive Technology Committee
Educational Background:
University of Illinois College of Law May 1993
Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude
Indiana University, Bachelor of Science with Distinction May 1990
Phi Beta Kappa
Joint Degree in Political Science and the School of Public and
Environmental Affairs
Heather also serves as a Village Trustee in the Village of Northbrook, where she lives with her spouse and three teenage girls.
Nora Zuckerman
Prior to forming Ross & Zuckerman LLP, Nora worked at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, now known as Legal Aid Chicago, one of the preeminent not-for-profit legal aid organizations in the country. At LAC, Nora represented low-income clients in a variety of civil legal matters, including family law and consumer law. Nora was also a Senior Attorney with the Home Ownership Preservation Project where she represented victims of predatory lending practices in foreclosures, tax sales and bankruptcy. Since forming Ross & Zuckerman LLP in 2005, Nora has dedicated her practice to issues regarding alternative family building and represents hundreds of clients each year, including intended parents, egg donors, sperm donors, embryo donors and surrogates. Nora not only counsels clients in the drafting and negotiation of third party reproductive agreements, but also provides guidance on many other issues that arise, including health insurance coverage and estate planning by working with other professionals within those areas. Nora takes pride in providing fully engaged and compassionate representation to all her clients. She has spoken on topics related to reproductive technology law, including as a guest lecturer at Loyola School of Law in Chicago.
Outside of her legal work, Nora is the Co-Chair of Luggage for Freedom, a project of the National Council of Jewish Women, a position she has held for the past ten years. Luggage for Freedom assists women and children residing in domestic violence shelters. She is also the Co-President of the Deerfield Parent Network in Deerfield, Illinois, where Nora resides with her husband and two teenage children.
Professional Memberships:
- Fellow with the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys
- Member of the Society of Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy
- Member of the legal professional group of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine
- Professional Member of the American Bar Association (Family Law – Assisted Reproductive Technologies section)
- Member of the Chicago Bar Association
- Member of the Illinois Bar Association
Educational Background:
Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri May 1996
Juris Doctor
University of Wisconsin – Madison May 1992
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
