Ayanna Squires graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lewis University in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. After graduation, she worked as an Illinois JusticeCorps Fellow at the Will County Courthouse. Ms. Squires was the 2022 recipient of the Will County Legal Opportunity Scholarship. She graduated Cum Laude from Northern Illinois University College of Law in May 2025.

While in law school, Ms. Squires was a judicial intern at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Additionally, she was a 711 extern at the Office of the State Appellate Defender and at the Kane County Public Defender’s Office in the felony division. Ms. Squires was admitted to the Illinois Bar in November of 2025 and joined the Will County Public Defender’s Office shortly thereafter.