About Aja M
Aja M Favors combines legal training, theological study and public policy work in a career that crosses mediation rooms, corporate counsel offices and nonprofit boards. She earned a B.A. in History/Pre‑Law from the University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign in 2001. She later completed an M.A. in Theology and Ethics at Garrett‑Evangelical Theological Seminary in 2006, a J.D. at Valparaiso University in 2013 and an M.A. in Public Policy and Public Non‑Profit Administration from Northwestern University in 2019.
Her legal career began after law school. In 2014 she practiced through Favors Law Office, LLC. Two years later she joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as Associate General Counsel. The next phase of her work broadened into dispute resolution. In 2017 she served as an arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County. In 2021 she launched Privacy & Technology Mediation Services to provide mediation tailored to privacy and technology conflicts.
Privacy law has become a central thread. She has held in‑house privacy roles in the private sector, including positions as Senior Counsel, Privacy and Security at Nissan Motor Corporation and Privacy Counsel at Barilla Group in 2023. She also accepted a privacy council position at Gloo in 2022. Those roles followed earlier practice and dispute resolution work and reflect a shift toward data protection and risk management in institutional settings.
Favors has pursued formal training and credentials that reflect that trajectory. She holds a Negotiation and Mediation Certificate from Harvard Law School. She is a Fellow of Information Privacy and holds IAPP certifications including Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM). She is admitted to practice in Texas, New York and Illinois.
Her civic and professional involvement runs across medical, legal and municipal organizations. She is a fellow of the Federation of State Medical Boards and a member of the Illinois Medical Disciplinary Board. She has served on the Chicago Police board and on Northwestern University’s Alumni Admissions Council. Earlier service included a seat on the Chicago Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluations Committee and participation in the Illinois State Bar Association Assembly. She chaired the Bankruptcy DEIA Consortium between 2021 and 2023.
Her work blends mediation techniques, privacy law training and institutional counsel experience. She maintains a practice that centers on privacy, data protection and technology‑related dispute resolution.
