JOSEPH A. POWER, JR. will be awarded the prestigious Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award at the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) convention on Friday, June 8, 2018. The convention will be held at the JW Marriott Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.
Joseph Power
The criteria of the award are as follows:
“This award is given annually at the convention banquet to someone selected by a committee appointed by the president. The recipient is someone who has devoted, as Leonard did, a substantial part of their life and their practice to ITLA, someone who has done more than is called for. Someone who has the standards of Leonard, the work ethics of Leonard and the commitment to ITLA that Leonard had. At the same time, it keeps alive the memory of Leonard Ring.”
Joseph Power, 65, founding partner of the Power, Rogers & Smith, LLP law firm in Chicago, is a prominent trial lawyer focusing on cases involving medical malpractice, trucking accidents, wrongful death and catastrophic injuries.
Power received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1974 and began his legal career with John D. Hayes and Associates, Ltd. after obtaining his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University of Chicago in 1977. Power was named as partner in 1984 and the firm became Hayes & Power. In 1993, the firm became Power, Rogers & Smith.
At the age of 28, Power became the youngest lawyer in the country to obtain a record setting jury verdict for his client. Power was the lead attorney in a trucking case which led to seventy-six criminal convictions, including the former governor of Illinois in the “licenses for bribes” scandal, which triggered the retesting of over 2000 truck drivers. Power prides himself of never having lost a medical malpractice case at trial.
As a leader among personal injury lawyers, Power has been listed in the Harvard Law graduates Naifeh and Smith book, The Best Lawyers in America, every year since 1987. The National Law Journal recognized him as one of the top ten litigators in the United States and he has been listed in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Law.
Additionally, Power has been repeatedly selected as one of the top lawyers by LawDragon, a group which selects the top 500 lawyers in the country. He has been named a top personal injury and consumer lawyer based upon polling of fellow lawyers in the Leading Lawyer Magazine since 2009, and is one of Super Lawyers Magazine’s top ten lawyers in Illinois. He has consistently been named in Chicago Lawyer Magazine, including the “30 Tough Lawyers” where he was 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.”
Power is involved in many professional organizations. He is a past president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Public Justice, Celtic Legal Society and ABOTA (Illinois Chapter). He is the current president of the Inner Circle of Advocates, which is a legal organization consisting of the best one hundred plaintiff trial lawyers in the United States. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is also a member of the Irish Legal 100, the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Power was appointed to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Chairman’s Advisory Council in 1994, and was Chairman of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee from 1995-2003.
He has been recognized by several organizations for his work as a trial lawyer. Power was awarded “Protector of the Working Man” by the Illinois State Crime Commission, “Citizen of the Year” by the City Club of Chicago and “Board Member of the Year” by the Little City Foundation. Additionally, he was awarded the Civil Justice Foundation’s Special Commendation Award for his thoroughness, tenacity and courage in uncovering and disclosing the “license for bribes” scandal. He received the Medal of Merit and Distinguished Award for Excellence from the Illinois State Bar Association and the Medal of Excellence by the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law. He was awarded the Tribute for Leadership on behalf of social justice and progressive change by US Action and US Action Education Fund.
Active in many charitable organizations, Power, his wife Susan and/or the Power Family Foundation regularly contribute to Leo High School, the University of Notre Dame, Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Misericordia, Catholic Charities, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, Free Spirit Media, Big Shoulders, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, St. Gabriel’s Grammar School, St. Clement Church and DePaul University.
“Leonard Ring was a great trial lawyer as well a wonderful person. I am honored to receive this award named in his honor,” said Power. “He was a humble, down to earth person who served as a leader, mentor and role model to many of us younger trial lawyers in the Plaintiff’s Bar. I cannot think of a plaintiff’s lawyer more deserving to have an award named in his honor than Leonard. He was a dear friend and colleague who I miss to this day. I humbly accept this prestigious award named after my friend, Leonard Ring.”
Power is married to Susan Power and they have four sons and three grandchildren. He and his wife live in Chicago.
Past Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Jon G. Carlson, Rex Carr, Kevin J. Conway, Robert J. Cooney, Philip H. Corboy, George J. Cullen, Joseph R. Curcio, David A. Decker, Thomas A. Demetrio, James Thomas Demos, Geoffrey L. Gifford, William J. Harte, Thomas Q. Keefe, Jr., Thomas F. Londrigan, Philip F. Maher, Nicholas J. Motherway, Nat P. Ozmon, Eugene I. Pavalon, John G. Phillips, Kim E. Presbrey, Anthony C. Raccuglia, Curt N. Rodin, Larry R. Rogers, Sr. and Michael P. Schostok.
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