Sadly, founding partner of the Power Rogers law firm, Larry R. Rogers, Sr. has passed away. Larry, a man from humble beginnings, at one time juggling three jobs to support his family, ceased upon the opportunities given to him, worked hard and became one of the most successful, respected and influential trial lawyers in the country.
During his illustrious over 37-year career, Larry Rogers, Sr. obtained numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts and recoveries in a multitude of cases including a record $27 million product liability verdict for his client against an infant formula company, which in 1985 was the largest personal injury verdict in Illinois history, and a $55 million verdict for a brain-damaged woman, which is the largest medical malpractice verdict that went to judgment in Illinois history.
During his distinguished career, Larry Rogers, Sr. was honored with the John Paul Stevens Award, the Chicago Bar Association’s highest and most prestigious award, and the prestigious Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded by the Illinois Trial Lawyers. He has received the Earl B. Dickerson Award from the Chicago Bar Association which honors outstanding minority lawyers whose careers at the bar emulate courage and dedication in making the law the key to justice for all in our society. He has also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from St. Xavier University and the DePaul University College of Law Alumni Award for Outstanding Service to the Legal Profession. A dedicated member of his profession, Mr. Rogers was a member in the Chicago Bar Association and the Cook County Bar Association, where he served as President in 1991. He is also a member of the American Bar Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of American, the Illinois State Bar Association, and member and former President in 2001 of the Illinois Trial Lawyers.
Larry Rogers, Sr. during his lifetime offered the following advice to young people who want to become trial lawyers:
“Work hard. Maintain your integrity and be willing to associate with others in your field. Get to meet them and learn from them whether the others are African Americans or whites or whatever their ethnic background may be.”
Good advice for all of us.
His longtime friend and partner, Joe Power said, “Larry was a great friend and partner for many years. Most importantly, he was a wonderful father, grandfather, and human being. Those who knew him best loved him more. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends and our firm.” His son, Larry Rogers, Jr. said, “My dad was more than just my dad. He was my mentor, my confidant, my law partner, and my friend. He
was a trailblazer in the law and in life whose legacy at Power Rogers, in the law, and in his community will live on. My sister Ann Marie and I, and the love of his life, Pam, and all of our family, will miss him dearly.”
