Masters of Trial Law Episode 5 explores Courageous Journeys of Parents Navigating Life after the Death of a Child
The fifth episode of Corboy & Demetrio’s Masters of Trial Law, Courageous Journeys of Parents Navigating Life after the Death of a Child, features the stories of three families who experienced losing a child and their inspiring journeys through the grief process. This special 90-minute episode of the law firm’s video podcast is hosted by Corboy & Demetrio Managing Partner Ken Lumb and Partner William T. Gibbs.
It features best-selling author Kelly Cervantes, who has published her new memoir, The Luckiest, and her husband, Actor Miguel Cervantes, best known for playing Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton in Chicago and on Broadway, as well as two Corboy & Demetrio clients, Malgorzata Palka, the author of, She Simply Disappeared: Unsent Letters to My Daughter, the second book she wrote after the death of her daughter, Justyna Palka, and Anna Berlingerio, the founder and owner of Luca Garden, a floral shop that she started while grieving the death of her son, Luca, who loved nature. The episode was recorded at Corboy & Demetrio’s podcast at their law firm at 33 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL, on Nov. 10, 2025.
WATCH EPISODE 5 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mgKVm9G8gnY
The podcast conversations explore how these brave parents rediscovered their purpose as they evolved through their losses.
Attorney Ken Lumb interviews his client, Anna Berlingerio, and Attorney Bill Gibbs interviews his client, Malgorzata Palka. In both cases, lawsuits were successfully settled, but the attorneys’ relationships with their clients are steadfast.
Ken and Bill wanted to share both women’s stories in the hope they may help parents who experience the loss of a child, in part, by exploring the larger topic of how loss reshapes identity, relationships, and priorities and how the firm's clients become their heroes.
The podcast conversations also highlight how creative outlets and projects, including writing books, hosting memorial events, and starting businesses, can help parents honor their children’s memory and rediscover meaning in life.
About our guests:
Kelly Cervantes
Kelly is an author and member of the board of CURE Epilepsy, an organization dedicated to finding cures for epilepsy. Kelly and Miguel Cervantes’ daughter Adelaide had epilepsy and passed away just before her fourth birthday.
Kelly became a best-selling author with the publication of her first book, Normal Broken, and published her second book and memoir, The Luckiest, in November 2025, which explores grief, resilience, and personal growth and transformation.
For more information about Kelly’s books, visit her blog, Inchstones: https://www.kellycervantes.com/blog
CURE Epilepsy: www.cureepilepsy.org
Malgorzata Palka
Author of two books, She Simply Disappeared, her first book, and later, a second book, She Simply Disappeared: Unsent Letters to My Daughter, which was also released in English as an audiobook in October 2025, and is being adapted into a play in April 2026.
The Justyna Palka Memorial Scholarship is an award for a junior in the Visual Communication Design (VCD) department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). It was established by the VCD department and Ogilvy & Mather in memory of SAIC alumna Justyna Palka, and includes a monetary award for tuition and a paid summer internship at Ogilvy & Mather.
For book and other information visit www.justynapalkadesigns.com or email hello@justynapalkadesgings.com
Anna Berlingerio
Anna is the founder and owner of Luca Garden, which is in Glenview, IL. For the first anniversary of Luca Berlingerio’s death, on what would have been his 5th birthday, Anna, with the support of Corboy & Demetrio, created Luca’s Green Walk, an annual memorial event that combines a nature walk with charity fundraising, benefiting organizations including Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind. Anna and her family have hosted Luca’s Green Walks, annually, since his death.