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Joseph A. Power Jr.
Born	(1952-10-15) October 15, 1952 South Side, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Education	University of Notre Dame (BA) Loyola University Chicago School of Law (JD)
Occupation	Trial lawyer
Known for	High-value verdicts in medical malpractice, wrongful death, and personal injury law; exposure of the Illinois "licenses-for-bribes" scandal
Spouse	Susan Power
Children	4
Awards	Public Justice Champion of Justice Award (2012) Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) Law Bulletin Media Trial Lawyer Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award (2022) Illinois State Bar Association Medal of Merit Loyola University Chicago School of Law Medal of Excellence

Joseph A. Power Jr. (born October 15, 1952) is an American trial lawyer and founding partner of Power Rogers, a Chicago-based law firm. He is known for high-value verdicts and settlements in medical malpractice, wrongful death, and personal injury cases, including some of the largest jury awards in Illinois history, and has been previously listed as one of the top ten litigators in the United States.

Early life and education

Power was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. He earned his B.A. in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame in 1974, graduating with high honors. He obtained his Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1977.

Career

Legal career

Power began practicing law in Illinois in 1977. At age 28, he became the youngest attorney in the United States to obtain a jury verdict exceeding $1 million, after trying the case alone when a $75,000 settlement offer was declined. He later co-founded Power Rogers, a Chicago-based personal injury trial firm that has consistently ranked first in the Chicago Lawyer Annual Settlement Survey. Since 2000, the firm has secured more than $6 billion in verdicts and settlements.

Power has obtained more than 200 verdicts and settlements over $1 million, including a $100 million trucking recovery linked to the Illinois “licenses-for-bribes” scandal, a record-setting $55.4 million medical malpractice verdict, a $95.4 million verdict for a double leg amputee, and major recoveries such as $50 million for an electrical-injury victim, $39.9 million for a fatal trucking collision, $30 million for a surgical error causing loss of both kidneys, $17.5 million for a bicyclist struck by a semi-tractor trailer, and $35 million for a brain-damaged child.

He also helped secure an $18.5 million mediated settlement for a child severely injured in a construction-zone crash where traffic-control plans were violated and safety reports falsified, and a $30.65 million verdict related to a 2006 office shooting in which security officers failed to follow established procedures. Power’s representation of the Willis family in the crash that killed six children exposed the statewide commercial-license bribery scheme, leading to 76 criminal convictions, including the conviction of former Illinois Governor George Ryan, and contributing to federal safety reforms under Operation Safe Roads.

Power represented the family of Christopher Sercye, a fifteen-year-old boy who was shot while playing basketball at a park less than one block from the hospital. Consistent with its policy at the time, the hospital emergency department staff refused to exit the hospital to render aid. Christopher was eventually brought inside by the Chicago Police Department, but died as a result of the delay. Power’s advocacy prompted federal review of EMTALA obligations and resulted in changes to interpretations of federal regulations requiring hospitals to provide emergency care within 250 yards of hospital property.

In 2022, Power obtained a $50 million settlement for a plaintiff who suffered severe burns and the loss of both legs and an arm in a tree-trimming accident involving utility lines. In 2023, Power and his co-counsel secured a $91 million settlement against 7-Eleven, Inc. on behalf of a man who lost both legs after being pinned against the storefront by a vehicle in 2017. The settlement was the largest pretrial recovery for an injured person in Illinois history.

Leadership roles

Power served as president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association from 1992 to 1993, president of the American Board of Trial Advocates’ Illinois Chapter from 2013 to 2015, and president of the Inner Circle of Advocates from 2018 to 2019. He also served as president and president-elect of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice between 1997 and 1999.

He is currently serving as chairman of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission. Previously, he was a member of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman’s Advisory Council in 1994 and served on the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee from 1995 to 2003, including as chair from 1996 to 2000. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Bar Admissions

Power was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1977, the same year he was admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He later gained admission to the Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar in 1982, the Supreme Court of the United States in 1992, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 1994, and the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois in 1994.

Publications

Loss of Society in Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1990.

Honors and Recognition

Power has received several honors in the legal field. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 1987 and has been recognized by Super Lawyers, Lawdragon 500, and Chicago Lawyer, which featured him in its “30 Tough Lawyers” list. He has also been recognized by the National Law Journal as one of the top ten litigators in the United States and named a “Legend” by Lawdragon.

In 2018, Power received the Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. In 2019, he was named the top attorney in Illinois across six categories by the Leading Lawyers Network: All Areas of Practice, Litigators, Consumer, Personal Injury Plaintiff, Medical Malpractice Plaintiff, and Product Liability Plaintiff. Since 2020, he has also received the Elite Lawyer award.

In 2022, Power received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jury Verdict Reporter Trial Lawyer Excellence Awards, presented by Law Bulletin Media, in recognition of his trial work, leadership, and contributions to the legal community. He received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025.

Power has also received awards, including Public Justice’s Champion of Justice Award in 2012, the Illinois Bar Foundation’s Distinguished Award for Excellence, the Illinois State Bar Association’s Medal of Merit, and Loyola University Chicago School of Law’s Medal of Excellence.

Personal life

Power is married to Susan Power. They live in Chicago and have four sons and three grandchildren.