Eugenie (Genie) Bauman Eardley

Born in Washington, D.C. in 1965, Ms. Eardley grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She attended and graduated from the United States Capitol Page School on Capitol Hill, working fulltime as a United States House of Representative Page while completing high school in 1983. Both of her parents were active in politics, and her father was an attorney, as well as a Congressman. Genie attended the highly acclaimed Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, earning a Bachelor’s in Foreign Service (BSFS) in 1987. She also received a certificate in African Studies. She then attended Georgetown University Law Center while working fulltime for various members of the United States House of Representatives and for United States Senator Dan Coats of Indiana. Genie Eardley also worked for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, William J. Bennett as a legislative assistant, and finally, for the White House of Domestic Policy under President Ronald Reagan. She achieved her Juris Doctorate (JD) from Georgetown in 1991.

Ms. Eardley was eager to work as a trial attorney, and took a position with a small trial practice firm in northern Virginia shortly after passing the Virginia bar, and becoming a member of the District of Columbia bar in 1991. Her first associate position landed her in the courtroom handling Plaintiff’s jury trials within the first year. Those first years of trial practice confirmed that the hard work and intellectual challenge of jury trials were definitely a good fit for her skills. More importantly, Genie also learned that she was at her best when she represented plaintiffs who had been wronged by corporate interests, government entities, medical professionals or even attorneys. She also handled complicated divorce and custody cases, taking on cases others could not or would not address.

Genie moved to Michigan in 1993 to be nearer to extended family. She joined a prestigious Grand Rapids litigation firm where she tried cases for both plaintiffs and the defense, but found herself moving to the plaintiff’s side of the courtroom more and more. In 1994 she began her own law firm with her husband, John F. Eardley in the Cannonsburg area. In 2007 they both joined another local Grand Rapids firm handling real estate and corporate litigation in addition to Plaintiff’s negligence, employment and family law. John F. Eardley is now retired, and Genie is once again practicing law in Cannonsburg.

Genie has handled many high profile cases against large companies and governmental agencies for wronged employees, and has a special in interest in sexual harassment and gender issues in law enforcement and government. She is a Sustaining member and Executive Board member of the Michigan Association for Justice, a member of the AmericanAssociation for Justice and the National Employment and Labor Law Association. Over her 18 year legal career, she has served on various committees and associations focused on professional legal issues. She presently serves on the State Bar of Michigan’s Judicial Qualifications Committee,and the Employment Law Committee for the Michigan Association for Justice. She lives in Cannon Township and is the mother of four, and enjoys her rescued ex-race horses, dogs and cats when she can.