Civil & Human Rights lawyers within 300 miles of Decatur Illinois

Mr. Anish Parikh started Parikh Law Group, LLC in January of 2010. After spending six months practicing as an associate attorney at a small law firm in Chicago, Anish decided it was time to pursue his goal of operating a law firm based on his dedication to clients and founded on his experience and vision. A trial attorney at heart, Anish specializes in all aspects of civil litigation, election law, real estate, immigration law, family law, assisting corporate entities in drafting and reviewing contracts, litigating disputes, and appellate practice. Anish focuses on providing efficient and competent representation while minimizing the time and money incurred by his clients. Developing and fostering relationships with his clients has always been an important part of Anish’s career. Anish is thankful to his wife, family, friends, colleagues, and associates for their support and assistance in founding, developing, and promoting the success of Parikh Law Group, LLC.

Darryl A. Goldberg is an aggressive criminal defense lawyer who represents those accused of the most serious criminal offenses in both federal and state courts. Based in Chicago, he regularly travels to other state and federal district and appellate courts to represent his clients, often in high profile cases. In the course of his criminal defense practice, his clients have included professional athletes, celebrities, doctors, lawyers, accountants, and law enforcement officers. His relentless efforts as a trial lawyer have resulted in jury verdicts acquitting his clients of everything from first-degree murder to large scale drug conspiracy charges. He chairs many committees for the American and Chicago Bar Associations, including the Criminal Law and Criminal Trial Evidence Committees.

Attorney Edward Kraus is the Managing Partner of Kraus Law Group, LLC in Chicago, Illinois. Since 1999, he has taught Health and Disability Law classes and has represented individuals in many cases involving complex health and disability matters. Previously, Mr. Kraus served as an attorney at the law firm of Plotkin, Jacobs, & Orlofsky, Ltd., focusing on civil litigation and consumer class actions in Chicagoland. Mr. Kraus is the director of the Vaccine Injury Litigation Clinic, where he represents those who have suffered from vaccination injuries. He served on the Advisory Commission of Childhood Vaccines from September 2011 to January 2017, where he was one of nine members who provided input regarding the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). Edward Kraus is an active member of the American Bar Association and the American Association for Justice. He has also been actively involved on the American Diabetes Association, Health & Disability Advocates, Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines, Department of Health & Human Services, and the Vaccine Committee of the Advisory Council to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Mr. Kraus has been admitted to the Illinois Bar Association, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. District Court, the Northern District of Illinois, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He is a proud graduate of Georgetown University Law Center.

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.

Since 1990, the legal team at Mitchell S. Sexner & Associates LLC has helped over 10,000 clients in cases involving criminal, traffic, personal injury, medical malpractice, and workers compensation matters. Mitchell Sexner is a former assistant States Attorney and every member of the legal team is very experienced and knowledgeable. Criminal and traffic fees are offered on a flat fee basis with payment plans where necessary. Medical malpractice, personal injury and workers' compensation matters are handled on a contingency basis with no money down and no fees charged unless you win. Many millions of dollars have been collected for our clients over the years. Call today for free information about how we can help you.

Stephen Donnelly has been an attorney at PLG since 2011. He specializes in commercial litigation and has extensive experience as lead counsel in bench and jury trials, arbitrations, and mediations. He has successfully conducted contested evidentiary hearings and dispositive motions, representing clients in AAA, Illinois state courts, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Illinois, as well as through the appellate process. Beyond litigation, Stephen advises on business strategy, contract negotiations, and development at all stages. Clients value his personalized approach, transparency, and clear communication, which aid in making informed decisions. His expertise has consistently benefited both individual and corporate clients. Stephen holds a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law (2011) and a B.A. from Western Michigan University (2008). He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and is admitted to practice in Illinois, the Northern District of Illinois, and the Southern District of Illinois federal courts.

At the Law Office of Steven Fine, our lawyer is dedicated to fiercely defending the rights of clients who are facing the criminal justice system. Over his more than 30 years practicing law, Steven has handled hundreds of complex cases, representing his clients with a comprehensive approach to law. His techniques are cutting-edge and aggressive, and he is always willing to put in the extra effort to research and fully understand a case from every angle. We are well-equipped and prepared to take on a wide variety of criminal law cases. Attorney Fine has extensive experience and is able to take on even the most complicated situation. As a former assistant State’s attorney, Mr. Fine has unique insight in the opposition’s approach and knows effective techniques that work against them.

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.