Legal Eagle Now Flying High in Bolingbrook

Anita Scott is one of the lucky few who knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life upon graduation from in 1992.  

For Scott, whose maiden name is Kontoh, the knowledge was like a beacon emitting a bright light that served to illuminate the path she traveled.

“It was always law and I was very well acquainted with the constitution," she said. "I was going to right the world … fix things … make things balanced. My mother is from Ghana and would speak to me in Twi (pronounced Tree), her native tongue. She taught me the importance of being proud of who you are. She believed education was important, but talked about how degrees don’t define people.”

And now that Scott is a mother, she said she sees how important that type of confidence is. 

Raised in the era of the Cosby show, Anita was convinced she would grow to be a lawyer like Claire Huxtable. She carried this mindset into each classroom experience striving to absorb as much information as humanly possible.

By Scott’s senior year of high school, her dedication to education paid huge dividends—earning a 3.98 GPA on a 4.0 scale placed Scott in an enviable position.

“I didn’t know much about the college search so I thought I’d handle it systematically," she said. "Actually it was a really bad plan. I was going to go through Baron’s Book of College’s with the intent of applying to every one.”

Scott started by requesting information from Adrian, a private liberal arts college in Michigan (because it was the first in the book). It didn’t take long for Adrian to respond.

Recruited heavily, Scott visited Adrian College and was seduced by the student to teacher ratio, beautiful campus as well as the compelling financial aid package. Four years later, armed with a degree in Major Criminal Justice and Business Administration Scott started the college application process again.

“I fell into the same category as Adrian. I knew I wanted to go to law school so I looked at all those that were approved by the American Bar Association," Scott said.“There were tier 1, 2 and 3 schools.  I know how hard it is to get admitted so I wanted to hedge my bets.”

Scott’s strategy was to apply early and often first choosing a dream school, University of Chicago. Early in the process, highly ranked Indiana University abruptly ended Scott’s search offering a three-year fellowship if she chose to attend.

“I remember thinking how much older everybody looked," she said. “I hadn’t even turned 21 and one of my professors told the class we were going to meet at the bar and go over materials. I remember being so worried, that I couldn’t get in!”

Scott said she initially felt like a rat being dropped in a maze—and soon, her competitive spirit kicked in. In May 1999, Scott graduated with a Juris Doctorate, and in Scott’s words, “was on the fast track to life.”

Scott turned 25 that July, took the bar exam, was notified that she passed in October, sworn in November and believed she was on track to become a Civil Rights Lawyer.

But Scott’s plans took an unexpected detour after being informed that the internship she had lined up would be unpaid.

With bills to pay, Scott took a temporary job answering phones for a local eye doctor. Then in 2000, Scott made the monumental decision to ‘hang out a shingle’.  Convinced that there was a market in Bolingbrook, Scott bartered for space in the Bolingbrook Commons.

Relying on instinct and a desire to represent the underserved, Scott quickly gained a sizeable clientele. Just eight short years after launching a private practice Scott, was able to purchase land and build the Diamond Creek Office Complex located at 260 S. Schmidt Rd.

Today, the successful entrepreneur wears many hats. Scott’s a mother, lawyer, landlord, founder of the Black History Awareness Club, president-elect of the Bolingbrook Rotary,  charter member of the Will County Black Bar Association and an active member of the Bolingbrook Chamber of Commerce.

What’s in store for the future is uncertain, but Scott is content in the knowledge that, this place, is exactly where she should be.