Terrence J. Lavin

Terrence J. Lavin is a former justice of the Illinois Appellate Court and a veteran trial lawyer with nearly three decades of experience in complex civil litigation. Over the course of his career, he has developed a disciplined approach to legal analysis, a strong command of evidentiary and procedural law, and the ability to evaluate cases from both trial and appellate perspectives.  He offers a comprehensive perspective on litigation strategy, case development, and client advocacy, informed by a career spanning high-stakes trial work, appellate decision-making, and sustained leadership in the legal profession.

Mr. Lavin served as a justice of the Illinois Appellate Court from 2010 through 2026, authoring more than 1,000 published opinions and orders that have contributed to the evolution of Illinois law. His work on the bench required close review of trial records, careful analysis of legal arguments, and a clear understanding of the issues that shape outcomes on appeal. This experience informs his ability to anticipate how cases will be evaluated on review and to develop strategies grounded in clarity, precision, and durability on appeal, with particular attention to how trial-level decisions are framed, preserved, and ultimately scrutinized in the appellate process.

As a trial attorney with a national reputation for handling complex, high-profile cases, Mr. Lavin’s practice focused on personal injury and wrongful death litigation surrounding medical malpractice, auto accidents, and transportation matters. Among his notable cases, he played a central role in litigation stemming from the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 at O’Hare International Airport, one of the most significant aviation disaster cases in U.S. history. Throughout his decades of practice, he worked with leading Chicago firms, including Corboy & Demetrio, Power Rogers & Lavin, and Lavin Law Offices, where he honed a methodical approach to case development and the effective presentation of complex claims, leveraging expert testimony, demonstrative evidence, and trial strategy to present technically complex issues before judges and juries.

His notable verdicts include:

• $32.7 million verdict in a railroad crossing injury case
• $18.5 million verdict for medical malpractice in a stroke misdiagnosis case
• $9.8 million verdict for medical malpractice in a brain aneurysm case
• $6.5 million verdict for medical malpractice in a post-surgical death case
• $4.6 million verdict in an auto accident injury case
• $2.5 million verdict in a workplace hand injury case
• $1.45 million verdict for a wrongful death shooting case

In addition to his litigation and judicial work, Mr. Lavin has also contributed to the legal profession through his writing and leadership within prominent legal organizations. He has authored dozens of articles on trial practice, offering insight on client advocacy, the presentation of evidence, and courtroom strategy, with publications appearing in the Illinois Bar Journal, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, and other leading legal publications. He has also mentored numerous law clerks who have gone on to careers in law.

Mr. Lavin is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, both invitation-only organizations that recognize distinguished trial lawyers and judges. He is also a past president of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Society of Trial Lawyers, and has served on the board of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and leadership sections of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American Bar Association. In 2021, he was recognized by the Illinois Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates as its Judge of the Year, reflecting his reputation among experienced trial lawyers across both sides of the bar.

A lifelong Chicagoan, Mr. Lavin was born and raised on the South Side. He earned his undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Illinois in 1977, followed by his Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1983. He later returned to Chicago-Kent as an adjunct professor, where he taught legal writing, further contributing to the development of future litigators through instruction grounded in real-world trial and appellate experience.