Power, Rogers & Smith: Joseph (Joe) A. Power

As one of the leading Chicago wrongful death lawyers, when Joseph Power steps into a courtroom or near a negotiating table, his adversaries and colleagues know that they are in the presence of a formidable foe.

Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Mr. Power was recently voted the top injury attorney in Illinois and one of the top Chicago injury attorneys in an article published in Chicago Magazine. Mr. Power has also been described in the media as "Darth Vader to the insurance companies" and "one of the most influential lawyers in the state." He has been committed to fighting for the underdog for more than a quarter of a century. With unique talents and dedication from his first foray into the courtroom at age 28, Mr. Power was the nation's youngest injury attorney to win a million-dollar verdict on behalf of an injured client. Twenty-five years later, Mr. Power has represented countless clients in their serious injury and wrongful death cases, and has recovered numerous multimillion dollar verdicts and settlements on their behalf. Recently, in a well-publicized case that brought down Illinois' governor George Ryan, Mr. Power secured the largest single-family, personal injury settlement in Illinois-$100 million.

For his commitment to his community, Mr. Power was recently honored with the Citizen of the Year award from the City Club of Chicago and the Distinguished Award for Excellence from the Illinois Bar Foundation. In addition, his exceptional talent and skill as a top Chicago injury attorney has earned him an invitation to join the Inner Circle of Advocates, an exclusive group of 100 of the top personal injury and civil trial lawyers in the country.

Named by Chicago Magazine as one of the toughest lawyers in Illinois and by the National Law Journal as one of the best plaintiff's lawyers in America, Mr. Power has built his law firm and his reputation as one of the top Chicago wrongful death lawyers by always fighting the hard fight and by his relentless pursuit of justice.

• 1974 University of Notre Dame, B.A. (with high honors in government and international relations)
• 1977 Loyola University, J.D.

• 1977 Admitted to Illinois Bar
• 1977 Admitted to Northern District of Illinois
• 1982 Admitted to Northern District of Illinois, Federal Trial Bar
• 1992 Admitted to U.S. Supreme Court
• 1994 Admitted to U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
• 1994 Admitted to U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois

• U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Chairman's Advisory Council, 1994
• Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee 1995-2003, Chairperson, 1996-2000

Recent Honors and Awards

• 2004 The Top Votegetter in a Poll of Illinois Laywers of the Top Attorneys in Illinois. Published in Chicago Magazine.
  
• 2004 Chicago Lawyer Magazine, named in the Settlement Survey as the No.1 Plaintiff's Law Firm in Chicago
• 2004 Awarded Illinois Bar Foundation's Distinguished Award for Excellence
• 2003 Awarded Illinois State Bar Association, Medal of Merit
• 2003 Awarded Tribute for Leadership on behalf of social justice and progressive change by US Action and US Action Education Fund
• 2003 Awarded Medal of Excellence by Loyola University School of Law
• 2003 Chicago Magazine, October 2003, named in Chicago Lawyer Settlement Survey as No. 1 Law Firm in Chicago
• 2003 Awarded Citizen of the Year, June 2003, by the City Club of Chicago
• 2002 Chicago Magazine, "30 Tough Lawyers," named one of the 30 toughest lawyers in all fields in Chicago. Those listed are, according to the magazine, attorneys you want "for you, not against you."
• 2001 Awarded "Protector of the Working Man" by the Illinois State Crime Commission
• 2000 Awarded the Civil Justice Foundation's Special Commendation Award for his thoroughness, tenacity, and courage in uncovering and disclosing the "License for Sale" scandal in the State of Illinois secretary of state's office as part of the Willis case.
• 1999 National Law Journal named as one of the top trial lawyers in the United States and one of the top four plaintiff's personal injury trial lawyers in Illinois.

Illinois Trial Lawyers Association

• President, 1992-1993
• President Elect, 1991-1992
• Second Vice President, 1990-1991
• Third Vice President, 1989-1990
• Board of Managers, 1984-1989
• Chairman, Legislative Committee, 1987-1989
• Chairman, Membership Committee, 1985-1987
• Member, Executive Committee, 1986-1987 and 1989-1994

• Chairman, Insurance Practices Committee, 1986-1987
• Sustaining Member

• President, 1998-1999
• President Elect, 1997-1998
• Vice President, 1996-1997
• Lifetime Member
• Board of Directors, 1992-1997
• Benefactor
• State Captain, 1988-1994
• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, 1995
• Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1996
• Member, Inner Circle of Advocates
• Member, Chicago Bar Association
• Member, Illinois State Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association