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Education

  • Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D., 1980
  • Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, B.S.F.S., 1977

Bar & Court Admissions

  • Illinois, 1980
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 1980
Susan J. Schwartz
Partner
SJS@CorboyDemetrio.com
33 N. Dearborn Street
21st Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
SJS@CorboyDemetrio.com    vCard
P: 312.346.3191

Attorney Susan Schwartz joined Corboy & Demetrio in 1980 following graduation from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and became a partner in 1994. Her practice centers on representing patients and their families in complex medical negligence personal injury and wrongful death actions. Susan's outstanding career as a personal injury lawyer was profiled in a feature article, "Shunning the Limelight, Her PI Career Speaks for Itself," in the Leading Lawyers Network Magazine.

As an experienced and successful medical malpractice lawyer in Chicago, Susan has achieved numerous multimillion dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of her clients. She and her trial partner, medical malpractice attorney David R. Barry, Jr., secured a record-setting $22 million verdict for the family of a Chicago woman who died during child birth. It is the largest verdict in Illinois for the death of a woman. Her impressive work has also resulted in a $9 million settlement for a 74 year-old nurse’s aide who suffered bilateral below-the-knee amputations as a result of the failure to timely diagnose and treat an acute arterial blockage. When a 13 day-old infant was electrocuted when the EKG leads on an apnea monitor were plugged into a wall outlet by a nurse, Schwartz was successful in securing $4 million for the parents of the infant. Susan obtained a $3.5 million settlement on behalf of the estate of a 64 year-old artist who died as a result of being force fed through a feeding tube that was incorrectly inserted in her lung instead of her stomach. A physician who was disfigured when her employer hospital supplied her with an excessive dose of steroids for an acute asthma attack was awarded $1.5 million in a settlement secured by Susan. In a wrongful death action against a moonlighting emergency department physician, she won an award of $1.7 million for the widow of a 73-year-old man who died of complications from an undiagnosed leaking aneurysm.  Susan secured a $3.2 million dollar settlement for the family of a man who died from a heart attack when Chicago Fire Department paramedics could not resuscitate him because the batteries in their defibrillator had not been maintained or replaced every two years in accordance with industry standards.

She is an active member of several bar associations and has lectured locally and nationally at bar seminars and continuing legal education programs on topics ranging from trial practice techniques to alternative methods of dispute resolution. She has spoken about health care issues to doctors, nurses and lawyers at workshops and seminars conducted by their professional organizations. She also has spoken at conferences conducted by the Institute for Health Law at Loyola University Chicago and has served on the faculty for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) for a video series on the cross-examination of experts.

Susan is a contributor to the guidebook, "Medical Malpractice," published by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education in 2010 and co-authored the chapters on "Duty" and "Proximate Cause." She has also co-authored a chapter in "Operative Obstetrics."

Appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the Court’s Committee on Character and Fitness, Susan served as a Commissioner from 1999 until 2007. She is a past President of the Board of Governors for Loyola University Chicago, School of Law, on the Board of Directors for the Woman's Bar Foundation and the Coordinated Advice & Referral Program for Legal Services and a member of the Board of Managers for the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

Named one of the top 5% of all Illinois attorneys by the Leading Lawyers Network, Susan was also named one of the top 100 Leading Women Lawyers in Illinois for 2008, 2009 and 2010.  Susan was chosen as one of the Top 50 Leading Women Consumer Lawyers in Illinois by the Leading Lawyers Network for 2012.  She has been designated an "Illinois Super Lawyer," one of the top 50 women Illinois Super Lawyers in 2011 and has achieved the highest possible rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.

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Profiles

News

Publications

Honors

  • AV rated - Highest level awarded - Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
  • Illinois Super Lawyer - Top 5% of all Illinois attorneys
  • Illinois Super Lawyer - Top 50 Women Illinois Super Lawyers, 2011
  • Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness, Commissioner, 1999 - 2007
  • Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Managers
  • Leading Lawyers Network Member - Top 5% of all Illinois attorneys
  • Leading Lawyers Network - Top 100 Leading Women Lawyers in Illinois, 2008, 2009
  • Loyola University Chicago, School of Law, Board of Governors, President
  • American Board of Trial Advocates, Advocate

Professional Affiliations

  • Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Board of Governors, President, 2009-2010; Vice-President, 2008-2009; Treasurer, 2007-2008; Secretary, 2006-2007; Member 2002-present
  • Women's Bar Foundation, Board of Directors, 2009-present; Vice-President, External Affairs, 2011-present
  • Coordinated Advice & Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS), Board of Directors, 2010-present
  • Chicago Bar Association (CBA), Judicial Evaluation Committee, 1986-1992
  • Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)
  • Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), Board of Managers, 2008-present; Amicus Curiae Committee, 1990-1998
  • American Bar Association (ABA)
  • American Association for Justice (AAJ), formerly known as Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), Women's Caucus Lobby Days, 2005, 2007

Community Involvement

  • Misericordia Family Fest, 1997-present
  • Almost Home Kids, Board of Directors, 2010-present; Chairman, Resource Development Committee, 2010-present

Seminars & Speeches

  • Panelist, Summit, National Association of Women Lawyers, April 21, 2011
  • Panelist, "Impact of Evidence Based Medicine in Litigation: A Sword or a Shield?," Evidence Based Care Webinar Series - Part II, presented by Clarity Group, Inc., October 14, 2010
  • "Advanced Torts, Trends in Medical Malpractice," Loyola University School of Law Symposium, 2008, 2009, 2010
  • "Using Plaintiff's Motions in Limine: Controlling the Evidence," Medical Malpractice Seminar, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 2007
  • “The Plaintiff’s Case: Winning Trial Techniques & Strategies,” Medical Negligence Seminar, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 2007
  • "Proximate Cause," Medical Malpractice in Illinois Seminar, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 2006
  • “Reducing Your Malpractice Risk: A Plaintiff’s Lawyer’s Insight,” Evanston Northwestern HealthCare Physicians Group, 2004
  • “The Medical Malpractice Crisis: Federal Efforts, States’ Rules and Private Responses – Patient Perspective with a Focus on Compensatory Harm,” Loyola University School of Law Annual Health Law and Policy Colloquium, 2003
  • “Pleadings and Written Discovery,” Tort Litigation: From Intake to Verdict Seminar, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 2002
  • "Cancer Cases,” Medical Malpractice Seminar, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 2001
  • “Disclosure of Medical Errors: Demonstrated Strategies to Enhance Communication," American Society for Healthcare Risk Management of the American Hospital Association, 2001
  • “Volunteer Liability,” National-Louis University, 2000
  • “Discovery: Interrogatories and Request to Produce,” Chicago-Kent College of Law, 1999
  • “Nursing Malpractice,” Loyola University Health Law Institute, 1999
  • “Evidence & Privileges,” Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1999
  • “Trial of a Medical Malpractice Case,” Loyola University Chicago, 1999
  • “Federal Bar Training Course,” Chicago Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section, 1998
  • Moderator, Damages Seminar, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1998
  •  "Closing Arguments," Federal Trial Bar Training Course, Chicago Bar Association, 1997
  •  "Sixty Days to Trial & Trial of a Medical Malpractice Case - For the Plaintiff ," Chicago Bar Association, 1997
  • "How to Make Money and Sleep at Night Handling Plaintiff's Litigation - Avoiding Legal Malpractice," Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Illinois State Bar Association, 1997
  • "Effective Use of Expert Witnesses," Young Lawyers Section Trial Techniques Seminar , Chicago Bar Association, 1994
  • "A Different Standard of Care for Physicians in Training?" Loyola University Chicago Institute for Health Law, 1993
  • "How to Get a Verdict," Civil Litigation Seminar, Northwest Suburban Bar Association, 1993
  • "Evaluating Our System of Justice: Is our Judicial and Litigation System Delivering Justice to all the Public?" American Bar Association Annual Meeting, 1992
  • "Fundamentals of Trial Preparation," Education Fund Young Lawyers Seminar, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1992
  • "Medical Malpractice Trends -- North and South of the Border ," Loyola University Chicago School of Law Institute for Health Law Conference, 1990
  •  "Legal Issues Workshop - Medical Records as Evidence - A Trial Attorney's Perspective," Joint Illinois Medical Records Association, Illinois State Bar Association, 1989
  • "The Insurance Contract," Insurance Law for Plaintiffs Seminars, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1989
  • "What is Dental Malpractice?" Illinois Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Meeting, 1989
  • "Proof of Negligence in Medical Negligence Cases - Plaintiff's Perspective," Chicago Bar Association, 1989
  • "Legal Systems Influencing the Quality of Medical Care," Loyola University Chicago School of Law Institute for Health Law Seminar, 1989
  • Illinois Task Force on Gender Bias in the Courts Round Table Discussion - Gender Bias in the Courts, 1988
  • Instructor, American Bar Association/National Institute Trial Advocacy Video Series, Cross-Examination of Experts, Minnesota, 1987 
  •  "Named Insured and Members of Family -- What is 'Resident of Household?' " Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1986
  • "Arbitration & Mediation in Cook County," Past President's Seminar, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1985
  • Guest Lecturer, Loyola University Chicago Street Law Program, 1984, 1985
  • Judge, Interschool Appellate Advocacy Competition, Loyola University School of Law, 1984, 1985, 1986