Russell W. Hartigan
Of Counsel
Hon. Russell W. Hartigan (Ret.), is Of Counsel for Rusin & Maciorowski, Ltd. He is a former judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County and has a Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School and a B.S.C. in Commerce from DePaul University, and is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Hon. Hartigan has extensive experience as an arbitrator and mediator, having served as an independent arbitrator, a court certified mediator, and an administrative hearing officer for the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund. He has also received advanced training in civil mediation, judicial performance evaluation, and dispute resolution from various institutions. He has been engaged in civil trial work since 1976, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation involving personal injury, municipal liability, workers’ compensation, and arbitration/mediation.
Hon. Hartigan has tried over 60 jury trials in state and federal courts, and has written and lectured on various topics related to civil practice, trial advocacy, and evidence. He has also been involved in various legislative and community activities, such as running for State Representative, serving as Township Supervisor and Trustee, Village Trustee, School Trustee, mental health Board President and Commissioner, and a city attorney for several municipalities.
Hon. Hartigan has received numerous distinctions and professional awards, such as being elected as the President of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Advocate Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the president of the John Marshall Alumni Board, and the recipient of the St. Ignatius Law Society Medal of Excellence in the Law, among others.
Hon. Hartigan is currently an adjunct professor at Chicago Kent College of Law and DePaul University, teaching law practice management, law and the workplace, and sexual harassment. His hobbies include playing handball, refereeing high school and college football, and golfing.
Education
Juris Doctorate – John Marshall Law School
B.S.C. (Commerce ) – DePaul University
M.B.A. – DePaul University
St. Ignatius High School
Admissions
Illinois
Wisconsin
Selected Works
Motions in Limine, Presenter-November 2016
Supreme Court Rule, Presenter, 213, 2010-2015 Motion Practices “A View from the Bench”-2011
Frye and Daubert Expert Testitnony-2013
UIM Chicago, IL; Cross-Exam, New Orleans, LA-2010
Municipal Liability “Sidewalk cases and Affirmative Defenses,”-2015
Speaker “Evidence, Before, During or After Trial or Settlement-017
“A View from the Bench,” Civil Section Council Practice-2017
Ethics-Tort Section Council-2017
“A View from the Bench”-Civil Practice and Trial-May 2017
Ethical Considerations and Trial Practice Evidence-May 2017
Anatomy of a Medical Negligence Trial-November 2017
Profession under Pressure Stress-From Attorney and Judicial Viewpoint-November 2017
Workers Comp, Negligence and Covid-19, 2020 ISBA Bar Journal, Vol. 108
Seminar Civil Topic, Oak Brook, IL, January 2015 Supreme Court Rule 213, Elmhurst, IL, 2013
Post-Trial Motions, Oak Brook, IL, 2011
Major Crime Assistance Team (MCAT) Northwest Suburban Police Department, 2015-2017
S.W. Bar Association – Municipal Liability –Lecture
Municipal Law from the Plaintiff and Defendant’s Perspective-January 2018
Supreme Court Rule 213-Presnted in 2013
Municipal Topics, October 2021
Objections from a Judge’s Perspective-December 2015 Municipal Law Seminar-Speaker 2019
Social Media-2013, Champaign, IL
Photographic Evidence-2012, Champaign, IL New Realities of Civil Practice -2015, Utica, IL Mediation-2017
2019 Civil Procedure-Civil Practice Committee ISBA “Sidewalk Presentation,” ISBA Civil Practice Section 2020