Gabriela Illa Acevedo (JD ’21) first became interested in health law while working on community-level implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the federal health care law that expanded health insurance coverage options for many people. As an ACA in-person counselor and then regional project manager, she organized large community events where she educated people on their access to care and helped them sign up for expanded Medicaid and marketplace coverage. 

In that role, she saw firsthand how laws and policy decisions shape an individual’s and a community’s access to health care, and she began to advocate for greater transparency around coverage decisions and accessibility. 

The experience helped her understand early on that health care is “personal, political and complicated.” It also influenced her decision to go to law school, where she saw legal training as a way to help others navigate the health care system. 

At DePaul Law, Acevedo was active with the Jaharis Health Law Institute, which connected her to a range of opportunities, including work as a cite checker and articles editor for the Health Law Journal, research assistance for Professor Wendy Epstein on health care pricing and innovation, and participation in Illinois Association for Healthcare Attorneys events through her Jaharis student membership.  Through an extended externship, she also interned at Rush Health, which manages contracting and coordinated-care work for Rush Hospital System. 

She credits “all of these experiences for helping expand my legal knowledge base of the health care ecosystem.” Along with her certificate in health law, these experiences signaled to employers that she was serious about building a career in the field. 

Before graduating, Acevedo received an offer from Rush, a result she attributed to making a strong impression through thoughtful and reliable work, but she ultimately chose to join Sidley Austin’s health care group. 

At Sidley, her work included the opportunity to contribute to an amicus brief with Carter Phillips, a veteran Supreme Court advocate, in favor of the respondents on behalf of the NAACP, one of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organizations working to advance equity, civil rights and social inclusion. The experience gave her early exposure to legal work involving national advocates and civil rights issues. 

After Sidley, Acevedo joined Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Association, the national association for independent BCBS companies, which together provide coverage to 118 million members across the United States.  

Early in her time there, she handled due diligence reviews, assessing legal, business and regulatory risks. She considered the work “a slog at the time” but later came to appreciate it as important to building a strong practice and reputation. This taught her that work that might not seem important at first can become valuable later on. She advises students “to be flexible and open to different opportunities.” 

In 2026, Acevedo opened her own health care-focused firm, Integrity Legal Services, LLC. Through Integrity, she helps health care providers and business leaders understand complex health care laws and navigate transactional and compliance matters.

Having her own firm also gives Acevedo flexibility to pursue personal passion projects in reproductive justice, an area focused on reproductive health, autonomy and family decision-making. That work reflects the same understanding of health care that first drew her to health law: that the field is personal, political and complicated, and that people need strong advocates to help them understand what they are facing. 

Acevedo said she would not have had the confidence or capability to open her own firm without a strong network. For students considering health law, her path shows how early commitment, reliable work and strong professional relationships can open doors. 

“Everyone you meet and work with is forming an impression of you,” she said. “For the sake of your clients and your reputation, do your best to take the work seriously and act with integrity.” 

Related: Learning Health Law in Practice at DePaul Law