Chicago-Kent College of Law Viewbook - (Page 37) On the Public Interest Larry R. Rogers Jr. ’94 Larry Rogers helped win a record $100 million settlement in 1999 on behalf of Rev. and Mrs. Duane “Scott” Willis, who lost six children in an accident involving a truck driven by someone who had obtained a commercial driver’s license by bribing state employees. The case opened a massive investigation of Illinois state government that led to 75 convictions. Our firm, under the leadership of our managing partner, Joseph A. Power Jr., has always pursued cases that we might not otherwise take because of their larger implications. The best example is the Willis case—Joe insisted on also pursuing the underlying corruption which led to unqualified drivers getting on the road, even though we derived no monetary compensation from that aspect of the case. My responsibilities with the Cook County Board of Review likewise provide an opportunity to focus my public service on a critical issue for a large group of people—especially seniors—beyond those who hire me as an attorney. It’s a three-member, quasi-judicial body that hears property tax appeals from Cook County residents. A lawyer’s role is to provide assistance in shaping the law, to ensure that it has its intended effect and, where it doesn’t, to voice concern so the law can be reshaped and redrafted. Joe and I recently represented the family of a teenage shooting victim who died outside Chicago’s Ravenswood Hospital when the ER staff refused to treat him. That case led to a broader understanding of when a hospital’s duty to provide care is triggered and furthered the interests of justice and society in general. Who’s Who 36 | 37
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