Patti graduated from the University of Chicago law school in 1988 and worked in the City of Chicago Law Department from 1988 – 2016. She began her tenure there in the Traffic Division and then worked her way up to assistant corporation counsel. In this position she prosecuted housing court matters in the Circuit Court of Cook County and handled collection matters for the Building and Land Use Litigation Division of the City of Chicago Law Department.

In 1998 Patti became senior assistant corporation counsel for the City of Chicago Law Department. In this role she prosecuted cases, supervised attorneys prosecuting cases, coordinated law clerks and externs, and served on various committees and task forces. 

Her expertise is recognized in the Municipal Administrative Law arena as well as building and fire safety. Patti taught numerous continuing legal education courses and has presented to the International Municipal Lawyers Association. 

Patti started a second career serving as the Director of Outreach for the National Federation of the Blind in 2016. In this capacity she works on outreach and development for the Federation. 

Patti keeps her hand in the law still. She belongs to several professional associations and serves on the Administrative Law Section Council as well as the Disability Law Committee of the Illinois State Bar Association.

Patti is the mother of two grown children, Johnathon and Julia and is married to Francisco Chang who is a nurse working in cardiac care. She and her husband love to dance and to travel in their spare time.