I worked my way through night school at John Marshall Law School and graduated in February, 1978.
Beginning in 1983 my practice was devoted to DUI and traffic defense. In 1985 summary suspensions were added to DUIs. On most cases I handled between 1985 and 2000, I tried the summary suspension or the DUI and often times both. I referred to those trials as "trial by your wits". You have no depositions. You only have the police reports and your knowledge when you go to trial. Through most of those years I tried at least one summary suspension and one DUI each week and often times two or more.
The trial skills I learned defending DUI cases transferred well to civil litigation. In about 1995, I began to accept Personal Injury and Workers Comp cases. As the volume of those cases grew I started limiting the number of DUI and traffic cases I would handle. By 2002 the majority of my practice was devoted to civil as opposed to criminal cases.
Over the last 15 years I have handled slip and fall cases, automobile accident cases, construction injuries, sexual attacks, attacks on teachers, dog bites, wrongful death actions, motorcycle accidents, and a civil interpleader action and complex workers comp cases. The injuries involved include operated cervical herniation’s, fractured pelvis and hip injuries, knee injuries, amputations and various other injuries. I have also represented defendants under a reservation of rights agreement with their home owners insurance.
I am proud of the people I was able to help, such as a middle aged woman who was raped in an apartment complex when other attorneys said she had no case, and the family of a young man murdered in jail when other attorneys turned down the case. I have prided myself on not rejecting a case just because it was difficult like the workers comp case where a fall at work resulted in urinary and fecal incontinence and I was able to prove that her injuries were work related.
I have tried both civil and criminal jury trials in both state and federal court. I have taken numerous witness, medical, and expert depositions. I have argued motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment.
I have been active in bar associations. I was elected to the ISBA Assembly and served a total of 12 years. I was chairman of the ISBA Traffic Laws and Court Section Council. I served as president of the Justinian Society of Lawyers, I lectured at the IICLE on DUI law and I served as a Moot Court Judge.
I was reviewed by Martindale-Hubbel and, since 1997, I have been rated AV, signifying the highest possible peer review rating in legal ethics and legal ability.
All of the above has brought me to the point where I feel I am qualified to serve as a judge myself. Being a judge has always been something that my family talked about. The honor, the duty, and the responsibility the position brings were always mentioned as the culmination of a long legal career. I have had the long career and I am ready for the honor, the duty and the responsibility of a judicial career.
All of the Bar Associations have rated me Qualified" or "Recommended" including the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. I am the only candidati in running in the race for the Veronica Mathein vacancy who was rated Qualified" or "Recommended" by all the bar associations.
