Ylda M. Kopka
Ylda Kopka represents clients in state and federal court litigation as well as  
administrative proceedings, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
and the Illinois Department of Human Rights.  She has successfully negotiated the
settlement of various matters and has counseled clients facing a variety of issues,
including discrimination in the workplace and retaliatory discharge.  Ms. Kopka works
alongside the firm's partners to ensure that each client’s interests are served throughout
the litigation.  

Ms. Kopka first became interested in workplace issues as a student journalist when she
reported on a pay dispute affecting teachers at the City Colleges of Chicago in the 1990s.  
Her experience as an intern union organizer with SEIU Local 880 led her to pursue a legal
career with the goal of making a difference in the lives of working people.  While attending
Chicago-Kent College of Law, Ms. Kopka was an Alumni Labor Scholar and received a
CALI award for achieving the highest grade in Employment Discrimination.  She was one
of thirty students selected for the school’s Certificate in Litigation and Alternative Dispute
Resolution, a curriculum that uniquely emphasizes the connection between legal doctrine,
skills and values, and the art of lawyering.  She has served as a third-party mediator of
cases in the municipal courts in Chicago, Skokie, Maywood, and Rolling Meadows.  She
has represented tenants in eviction court, including tenants evicted for discriminatory
reasons.  She has advocated for claimants who were wrongfully denied Social Security
disability benefits.  Her dedication to public service earned her the honor of an
AmeriCorps/Equal Justice Works Fellowship, a Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI)
Internship, and a Kent Justice Foundation Fellowship.  Upon graduation, she was one of
twelve students honored by her class with a membership into the Bar and Gavel Society
for distinguished community service.

Ms. Kopka was born and raised in Chicago.  She is a graduate of the University of Illinois
at Chicago and is a member of the Alumnae Board at Notre Dame High School for Girls,
which is located on the city’s northwest side. She is an Associate Board Member for
CARPLS, a legal aid service for low-income residents of Cook County.  She is also a
member of the Chicago Bar Association and the National Employment Lawyers
Association.  She is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois and the U.S. District Court
for the Northern District of Illinois.

Ylda M. Kopka
O'Malley & Madden, P.C.
542 So. Dearborn St., Ste. 660
Chicago Illinois 60605
312.697.1382
ykopka@ompclaw.com