Government

Attorney Kendall D. Hartsfield is a graduate of Western Illinois University, Governors State University, and Thomas M. Cooley Law School, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Master of Arts in Political and Justice Studies, and Juris Doctorate, respectively. Mr. Hartsfield’s diverse background ranges from experience representing indigent defendants for the Will County Public Defenders Office to experience as an educator for the City Colleges of Chicago, for which he taught courses to pre-trial detainees at the Cook County Department of Corrections. Attorney Kendall D. Hartsfield is admitted to practice throughout the State of Illinois, and he is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Hartsfield is also a member of the Trial Bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. To schedule a free consultation with Attorney Hartsfield, visit his website, or call 312-345-1700.

Senator Ira I. Silverstein was first elected to the Illinois Senate in 1998. Throughout his tenure representing the 8th Senate District, he has been an advocate for good government and a strong voice for making communities safer and protecting consumer rights. Senator Silverstein was singled out in the past by a Chicago Tribune editorial as being a "quiet but hard working" legislator and one of the "few members who actually reads all proposed legislation." Senator Silverstein is a leading voice for public safety, passing legislation protecting children from known sexual predators and from "cyber-bullies". He is a tireless promoter of consumer rights as well as Internet and technology-related protections. He serves on the Senate's Executive, Financial Institutions, Executive Appointments, Insurance and Judiciary Committees. Senator Silverstein earned his bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago and his law degree from the John Marshall Law School. He is married to Debra Silverstein, a CPA and Alderman of Chicago's 50th Ward. They have four children.

I am the managing attorney at Pearson Disability Law, LLC. I practice Social Security disability law exclusively and have helped thousands of disabled individuals in the Chicagoland area receive benefits. I did my undergraduate work at University of Delaware and received my J.D. at New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts. I have family members who have disabilities and know first-hand how difficult life can be. Because of this I have over the years developed a passion for helping people in need and trying to make a difference in people’s lives. Not many folks understand the impact of debilitating physical or mental impairments on one’s own life and on the lives of family and friends. I understand and am here to help navigate people through the complicated process of applying for and obtaining disability benefits. People come to me sick, desperate, frustrated, angry, and hopeless due to their circumstances. My goal is to help them through this trying time and get them the financial and medical assistance that they deserve. I personally manage all of our cases and as such you will have an attorney working on your case every step of the way. You will have an attorney, not a “legal advocate,” appear at your hearing before the Administrative Law Judge. Whether you are in the process of applying for benefits or appealing a decision in your case, there is never a bad time to call me for help.

The Law Office of Lela J. Davis is a solo woman-owned firm established in 1996 with the primary goal of providing clients with high quality legal services at an affordable cost. The office is located in South Holland, Illinois and provides legal services to clients in the city of Chicago, its surrounding southern suburbs and Will County. Lela J. Davis has practiced law in the state of Illinois for over 30 years and has vast experience in many areas of the law. Before establishing the firm, Lela J. Davis worked as a lawyer for government agencies and for large commercial businesses in both legal and business management positions. This cast array of experience gives her the unique and thorough perspective to attack your legal issue

I began my practice over 11 years ago with the determination to make things better for my clients and my community. That continues to be the focus of my practice, and I look forward to many years of future service to my neighbors and friends. I grew up in Libertyville, graduating from Copeland Manor, Highland Jr. High, and eventually Libertyville High School in 1997. I attended college at Miami University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business, Majoring in Marketing. During college, I was president and judicial board chairman of my college fraternity, and was involved with Associated Student Government, various volunteer, and civic groups, and volunteered as a tutor. I attended law school at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where I was active in Student Court, Moot Court Honor Board, the Tenant Information Project, the Human Rights Quarterly, and was a member of the Dean’s list. During this time I also volunteered as a youth mentor for the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, taught a High School class curriculum in civics called StreetLaw, and worked part-time for Kaplan tutoring and preparing students for the Law School Admissions Test. I continue to be actively involved in the community. Currently, I sit on the Board of Directors of the Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County, a non-profit tasked with improving housing options throughout Lake County. I am also currently exploring the formation of a non-profit to rehabilitate abandoned, nuisance homes to stabilize housing values and rid neighborhoods of dangerous and often unsanitary hazards. I am regularly appointed by judges to serve as guardian ad litem in guardianship matters. I currently live in Mundelein with my wife, Dr. Amanda R. Johnston, DVM (veterinarian), our son Merritt, and our dog and cat. In my free time, I enjoy gardening, keeping aquariums, bicycling, hiking, canoeing, golf, coaching youth lacrosse, and rooting for the Chicago Cubs. Effective, knowledgeable, and ethical criminal defense. Call for a free consultation. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. A homeowners association recently tried to enforce long-dormant deed restrictions (ignored for 30 years against) my client, in a discriminatory manner. The association followed none of its own rules, and was ostensibly re-formed solely to discriminate against my client by forcing the costly removal of valuable improvements on his land. A neighbor filed suit, arguing the dormant deed restrictions against my client, who is a person of color and substantially younger than others in the neighborhood, while ignoring blatant violations on their own property and at nearly every other property in the neighborhood. At the close of discovery, we successfully moved the court for summary judgment on the grounds that there was no way the suing neighbor could possibly prevail. My client’s property rights were maintained and the discriminatory action was thwarted. How did you build a successful practice? Mutual respect. I am proud of the fact that my firm offers free initial case consultations. This stems from a recognition that, while my time is valuable, so it the time of my clients. I strongly believe that initial case consultations, even if valuable to clients, should be free, because I do not believe it is fair to charge for time spent evaluating whether my firm can help a certain client, and in developing the plan of action. Once we come up with a plan of action, we communicate that proposed scope of work to the client so they can accept or reject our proposal for representation. Only after a client has agreed to hire us, based on the agreed plan, are legal fees assessed. This approach, based on mutual respect, has been crucial to our firm’s success. What should clients look for in a lawyer? It’s a personal relationship as well as a professional one. Clients must be comfortable with their attorney on both these levels. Clients should be sure that they can communicate well with their attorney. A knowledgeable professional in any field should be able to explain even the most difficult contexts in terms a layperson can readily understand. If you cannot understand your attorney, its probably not a good fit. How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? The saying goes “A good attorney knows the law, a great attorney knows the judge.” This is true because the practice of the law is not only theoretical, but also practical and pragmatic. An experienced local attorney will typically know the courts, judges, clerks and local procedures better than an attorney who does not practice in the county on a regular basis. Thus, clients represented by local attorneys will reap numerous advantages in the course of a case. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? Typically, after learning enough about the case for a proper evaluation, I explain how the law works in the area, how I expect the law will be applied to their situation, and how my firm can potentially be of service to the person (and how we would charge for our services). Often, in order to properly conduct an initial consultation, I will need to review relevant paperwork, but with smart phones, scanners and teleconference software, it is increasingly easy to share documents electronically. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? Every case is different, but in general, I will need to know the parties involved in a case (so that I can make sure there is no conflict of interest), I will need to know the location of the case, and often it is very helpful to review relevant documents. Every case is different, and many of the documents I would need to review may be available online (like court records), so a potential client should not be dissuaded from calling to schedule a free consultation. If we need more information, we will let you know. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? I do my best to build a strong professional network both within and outside of the legal community. If a potential client comes to my firm and, for whatever reason(s), the case is not a good fit for my firm, we do our best to match the client with the right attorney. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Helping people. This is how attorneys help ensure equal justice under law. That’s why good attorneys enter the practice. What are your other interests in addition to law? My hobbies include: canoeing, hiking, bicycling, golf, fishing, disc golf, and keeping aquariums. Causes that I support include Affordable and Just Housing, Medical Research, and community efforts to foster local, small businesses. Are you involved in your community? Yes, I am active in my local and state bar associations, the GLMV, and business networking groups. I am regularly appointed by judges in Lake County to serve as a Guardian ad Litem. I serve on the Lake County Chamber of Commerce as a Board Member. Additionally, I serve as President of the Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County (AHC), which works closely with Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) to serve the joint mission of fostering safe, affordable housing in our area.

Attorney Vincent A. Luisi, Jr. was born and raised in the Chicagoland Area. He attended Niles West High School located in the Northern Suburbs. He graduated from Roosevelt University located in Downtown Chicago in 1996. Mr. Luisi attended a University in Miami, Florida where he obtained his Juris Doctrine in 1999. Vincent A. Luisi, Jr. is the president and founding of Luisi Legal Group.

Ted Whittenburg has 22 years of litigation experience and specializes in helping those who have suffered personal injuries as the result of other’s negligence. He represents clients who have been injured in motor vehicle crashes, construction accidents, slip and falls, and all other types of negligence cases, as well as those who are injured on the job. A growing number of Ted’s clients are bicyclists and pedestrians who have suffered injuries at the hands of distracted and inattentive drivers. He has represented clients in numerous catastrophic injury cases, as well as claims involving connective tissue neck and back injuries typically sustained in motor vehicle collisions. His early experience representing insured defendants has given Ted valuable insight into how insurance companies evaluate personal injury cases, which has proven invaluable in negotiating settlements for his clients.

Michael Lebson Prigoff is a practicing lawyer in the states of New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts with more than 45 years' experience handling Trust & Estate matters, including estate planning, probate, administration, lawsuits and appeals.

Mai Mullen Milton is a native of Pontiac, Michigan but has resided in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas with her family for the last 17 years. She is an alumnus of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and minored in Communications; She was active in various clubs and activities, such as residence council, student government, and collegiate cheer. She holds significant professional experience in the legal field and attended Western Michigan University- Thomas M. Cooley School of Law in Lansing, Michigan. While at Thomas M. Cooley she participated in Moot Court and was a member of one of two teams to go undefeated in the oral argument competition. She graduated Law School with her Juris Doctorate with a litigation concentration and went into private practice founding her own firm. Her prior legal experience includes serving as General Counsel & Director of Legal & Grievance for the Dallas Teachers Union, serving as a managing partner, and serving as founding attorney of her own firm. Ms. Milton’s primary areas include family, education and civil litigation. She is licensed to practice law in both Michigan and Texas and licensed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family, cooking, and traveling.

At The Law Office of Robert L. Schupp, PLLC., our mission is to guide you through complex legal matters with clarity, confidence , and a commitment to protecting your rights, your family, and your future. We serve the greater Johnston County and surrounding areas such as Wayne County, Harnett County, and Cumberland County. Our firm specializes in handling divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, domestic violence, traffic violations, criminal misdemeanors, estate administration, and probate. We listen carefully, advise clearly, and advocate with purpose, helping you navigate challenges and lay a strong foundation for a stable and secure future. Context us today to take the first step and schedule a FREE consultation!