Whitney Barr is an attorney at Caffarelli & Associates Ltd., where she concentrates her practice in employment litigation with a deep commitment to advancing employee rights. Ms. Barr represents clients in a broad range of workplace matters, including discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, wage and hour violations, whistleblower claims, medical leave rights, and biometric privacy.
A significant focus of Ms. Barr’s practice is advocating for individuals who have experienced workplace discrimination and harassment based on disability, age, race, gender, sexual orientation, and pregnancy. Her work regularly includes litigation involving hostile work environments, unlawful retaliation, and inequities in hiring, promotion, and compensation. She is especially passionate about representing women in cases involving gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual assault in the workplace. Early in her career, Ms. Barr played a key role in a high-profile sexual harassment case on behalf of eight young women against their employer—an experience that solidified her dedication to fighting workplace injustice and shaped her focus on employee advocacy.
In addition to her individual advocacy, Ms. Barr maintains an active class and collective action practice, with a focus on claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), and the Equal Pay Act (EPA). She is dedicated to challenging systemic workplace injustices and securing meaningful results for both individuals and groups.
Ms. Barr practices in both state and federal court and is admitted to practice law before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Outside of her litigation practice, Ms. Barr is an active leader in the Chicago legal community. She co-chairs both the Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyers Section’s Moot Court Committee and Civil Rights Committee and serves as a Director on the Executive Leadership Board. She also contributes regularly to legal publications and has authored articles in the Chicago Bar Association Record, Illinois Bar Journal, Illinois Trial Lawyer’s Journal, and Chicago Bar Association’s online publication, @theBar. Her recent work includes “Deposing the Reluctant Witness” (CBA Record, April/May 2023), “Seventh Circuit Approaches to Allowing a Substitute Expert: Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 16(b) and 37(c)” (CBA @TheBar, April 12, 2022), “Congress Passes Bill Nullifying Forced Arbitration in Sex Abuse Cases” (CBA @TheBar, March 16, 2022), and “Separately Compensable Damages for Emotional Distress in Illinois Tort Cases” (CBA @TheBar, February 23, 2022). She also maintains a commitment to pro bono service and regularly volunteers with the Wills for Heroes Program to draft estate planning documents for first responders.
Ms. Barr earned her J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law and her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Missouri. During law school, she was a national moot court competitor, winning Best Brief at the Charleston School of Law Moot Court Competition, and served as a teaching fellow for Legal Studies.
