Phone: (312) 456-3297
Email: malkaraki@leahylaw.com
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Michael Alkaraki
Michael Alkaraki is a trial lawyer who has dedicated his career to representing individuals and families in cases of catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability and wrongful death. He has recovered nearly $50,000,000 in verdicts, arbitration awards and settlements for his clients. Mr. Alkaraki is an Adjunct Professor at his alma mater, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he teaches Advocacy, Trial Practice and Professional Identity Formation. He holds a variety of leadership positions within the organized bar, serves as a trusted arbitrator appointed by other attorneys in their cases and is a Certified Mediator in the Chicago Bar Association’s Mediation Service, where he also serves as a Mediator-Coach for attorneys undergoing advanced skills training in negotiation and alternative dispute resolution for which they receive Continuing Legal Education and Professional Responsibility credit.
“Michael Alkaraki has earned a reputation as one of the smartest, hardest working and most ethical attorneys in the Chicago region.”
~ Chicago Daily Law Bulletin/Chicago Lawyer, Forty Under 40 Illinois Attorneys to Watch.
In 2019, the Illinois State Bar Association recognized Mr. Alkaraki with the Civic Education Award for his dedication to advancing public understanding of the judicial process and role of attorneys in society. In 2017, Mr. Alkaraki was recognized as one of “Forty Under 40 Illinois Attorneys to Watch” by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin/Chicago Lawyer Magazine for his success in the courtroom and commitment to the profession and broader community. Some of his recent case results include the following:
- $5,900,000 trucking negligence/wrongful death settlement
- $3,312,500 settlement for the family of a child who died due to venous lacerations sustained during central line placement for treatment of neuroblastoma
- $2,350,000 premises liability settlement for a 15 year old girl who suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury
- $1,875,000 product liability settlement for injuries sustained by a 70 year old woman with ALS due to the failure of a personal motorized lift system
- $1,500,000 product liability settlement secured for a 71 year old woman whose prosthetic hip implant fractured after 3 ½ years of use
- $1,350,000 medical malpractice settlement for a 15 year old boy who suffered a ruptured appendix with complications after appendicitis was misdiagnosed as gastroenteritis
- $975,000 medical malpractice verdict for a 50 year old woman with pre-existing bilateral hearing deficits who sustained total hearing loss in one ear during a foreign body extraction procedure
Mr. Alkaraki has been published in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, the Illinois Bar Journal, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association’s Trial Journal and numerous bar association newsletters, is a regular speaker and Continuing Legal Education presenter on topics related to his practice areas and periodically hosts the Chicago Bar Association’s consumer-facing “You and the Law” television program, the purpose of which is to educate the general public on common legal issues and related matters of policy. In addition to the aforementioned accolades, Mr. Alkaraki has been recognized as one of the “Top 40 Under 40 Litigation Lawyers in Illinois” by the American Society of Legal Advocates, repeatedly selected to the list of Illinois Rising Stars by Super Lawyers®, and repeatedly named as an “Emerging Lawyer” in the field of personal injury by the Leading Lawyers Network of the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, an award presented to the top 2% of Illinois lawyers 40 years old or younger or practicing law 10 years or less. He serves as a pro bono attorney through the Wills for Heroes Foundation, on the Board of Directors of Opportunity Knocks, a local not-for-profit organization addressing the needs of the young adult developmentally disabled community, and on Loyola University Chicago School of Law’s Dean’s Diversity Council and Alumni Board of Governors.
Mr. Alkaraki received his undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Saint Joseph’s College prior to receiving his Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. For more information about Mr. Alkaraki, LHA and how we may be able to assist you or someone you know, be encouraged to review the external profiles to the left and expanded professional biography below or contact us at (312) 372-8893.
Mr. Alkaraki received his undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Saint Joseph’s College prior to receiving his Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. For more information about Mr. Alkaraki, LHA and how we may be able to assist you or someone you know, be encouraged to review the expanded professional biography and external profiles below or contact us at (312) 372-8893.
Expanded Bio.
Bar Admissions
State of Illinois, 2006
United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2007
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 2009
United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana, 2014
Education
Loyola University Chicago School of Law – Juris Doctor, 2006
Loyola Consumer Law Review, Senior Editor
Loyola Business Law Center, Clinician
Law Related Education for Juvenile Detainees, Volunteer Teacher
Dean’s List – Spring 2005, Fall 2005, Spring 2006
Saint Joseph’s College – B.A. in Philosophy, Minor in Poly-Sci/Psych, 2003
NCAA Division II Athletic Scholarship – Saint Joseph’s College Baseball Program
Saint Joseph’s College Minority Leadership Scholarship
Jasper County Youth Center – Community Volunteer
Faculty Appointments
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
- Adjunct Professor, Advocacy/Legal Writing III, 2015-Present
- Instructor, Professional Identity Formation 2018-Presnt
- Instructor, Intensive Trial Practice I, 2020-Present
Professional, Community & Volunteer Activities
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
- Alumni Board of Governors, 2019-Present
- Dean’s Diversity Council, 2011-Present
- Damen Society, 2019-Present
Opportunity Knocks Now, 2011-Present
- Board of Directors, 2019-Present
- Auxiliary Board & Development Committee, 2012-2019
- Volunteer, 2011-Present
Chicago Bar Association, 2006-Present
- CBA Mediation Service, Certified Mediator, 2020-Present
- Judicial Evaluation Committee, 2013-Present
- Hearings Division, 2017-Present
- Investigations Division, 2013-2017
- Trial Practice Committee, 2016-Present
- Media Production Committee, 2013-Present
- Chair, 2019-Present
- Vice Chair , 2017-2019
- Juvenile Justice Mentoring Initiative, Mentor, 2012-2014
Illinois State Bar Association, 2006-Present
- Tort Law Section Council, 2016-Present
- Assembly, 2013-2019
- Young Lawyers Division Section Council, 2015-2019
- YLDS Council Liaison to Loyola University of Chicago Law School, 2016-2017
- YLDS Council Speed Networking Sub-Committee, 2016-2017
- Committee on Law Related Education for the Public, 2007-2009
Illinois Bar Foundation, 2018-Present
- Fellow, 2019-Present
- Fellows Liaison to ISBA Tort Section Council, 2019-Present)
- Lawyers Rock Committee, 2018-Present
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 2006-Present
- Amicus Curiae Committee, 2014-Present
Wills for Heroes Foundation, Pro Bono Attorney, 2013-Present
Arab American Bar Association of Illinois, 2018-Present
American Association for Justice, 2006-Present (periodic)
City Club of Chicago, 2012-Present (periodic)
Business Networking International – CGP River North Chapter, 2016-Present
- Education Coordinator, 2018-2020
Honors, Awards & Recognition
St. Robert Bellarmine Award, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2021
Re-selected to Illinois Rising Stars list in the area of Personal Injury by SuperLawyers, 2021
Certificate of Appreciation, presented by the Chicago Bar Association for service to the organized bar and as Chair of the Media Production Committee, 2020
Re-selected as an Illinois “Emerging Lawyer” in the field of Personal Injury by SuperLawyers, 2020
Re-selected to the Illinois Rising Stars list in the area of Personal Injury by Super Lawyers, 2020
Profiled/Interviewed for “Forty Under 40 Feature” by the Chicago Bar Association’s “@the Bar Blog, 2019
ISBA Civics Education Award, presented by the Illinois State Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Law-Related Education for the Public, 2019
Re-selected as an Illinois “Emerging Lawyer” in the field of Personal Injury by the Leading Lawyers Network of the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2019
Re-selected to the Illinois Rising Stars List in the area of Personal Injury by Super Lawyers, 2019
Re-selected as an Illinois “Emerging Lawyer” in the field of Personal Injury by the Leading Lawyers Network of the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2018
Re-selected to the Illinois Rising Stars List in the area of Personal Injury, Super Lawyers, 2018
Forty Under 40 (Forty Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch), Chicago Daily Law Bulletin & Chicago Lawyer, 2017
Re-selected as an Illinois “Emerging Lawyer” in the field of Personal Injury by the Leading Lawyers Network of the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2017
Selected to the Illinois Rising Stars List in the area of Personal Injury by Super Lawyers, 2017
Top 40 Under 40 Litigation Lawyers in Illinois, American Society of Legal Advocates, 2016
Highest Possible 10.0 “Superb” Rating from Avvo, 2016
Selected as an Illinois “Emerging Lawyer” in the field of Personal Injury by the Leading Lawyers Network of the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2016
William J. Harte Amicus Volunteer Award, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 2015
Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest, Selected for Publication – “Navigating Concurrent Personal Injury & Divorce Cases,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2015
Featured/profiled for philanthropic work in the “Lawyers Care” series by the Illinois State Bar Association Lawyer Finder, 2014
Nominated for Illinois State Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year Award for Cook County, 2014
Excellence in Philanthropy Award for Outstanding Business or Group, presented to the Opportunity Knocks Auxiliary Board by the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, 2014
Certificate of Recognition for Service to the Juvenile Justice Mentoring Initiative’s Pilot Program, presented by Hon. Michael P. Toomin, Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Justice Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, 2013
Publications
Expert Testimony in the Age of Disinformation, Tort Trends, Illinois State Bar Association, Vol. 55, No. 2, March 2020
Perfecting Distributor Liability for Dangerous Products, Tort Trends, Illinois State Bar Association, Vol. 52, No. 4, June 2017
Law Practice Civility in the Wake of a Vitriolic Election Cycle, Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, Illinois State Bar Association, Vol. 61, No. 3, December 2016
Mentoring in Law: Necessity & Opportunity, Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, Illinois State Bar Association, Vol. 60, No. 5, April 2016 (reprinted in ISBA Racial and Ethnic Minorities and the Law Newsletter, Vol. 26, No.1, May 2016)
Navigating Concurrent Personal Injury & Divorce Cases, Illinois Bar Journal, Vol. 103, No. 7, July 1, 2015
Products Liability – Plaintiff’s Perspective (30 page monograph supplementing CLE program), ApexCLE, January 21, 2015
Amicus Curiae Brief of ITLA in Support of Plaintiffs-Appellants in Brock v. CTA et al., No. 1-14-1302, Leave granted by Illinois Appellate Court (1st Dist.) November 3, 2014
Animal Control Act Opinion Limits Victims to One Bite at “Owner” Liability,
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Lawyers’ Forum, pg. 5, April 11, 2013
Turning Your “Dog” Case into Dollars: Establishing Liability Under the Animal Control Act and Common Law, Trial Journal, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Vol. 15, No. 1, Winter 2013
Presentations
You and the Law: The CBA Mediation Service, Host of TV Program featuring CBA President Maryam Ahmad and former President Judge Thomas Mulroy, March, 2020
You and the Law: The CBA Racial Justice Coalition, Host of TV Program featuring Chastidy Burns and Kenny Matuszweski, September 2020
You and the Law: The Chicago Bar Association as a Public Resource, Host of TV Program featuring CBA President Maryam Ahmad and YLS Chair Jeffrey Moskowitz, August 2020
You and the Law: You and the Law: Current Developments in Immigration Law & Policy, Host of TV Program featuring Aasim Cunningham and Alexandra Lopez, July 2020
You and the Law: Chicago Animal Care & Control, Host of TV Program featuring Kelley Gandurski and Dr. Cynthia Bathurst, 2019
Sharpen Your Jury Trial Skills, Faculty for 4 Session CLE Seminar Series on Opening Statement, Direct Examination, Cross Examination & Closing Argument, Chicago Bar Association, 2019
You and the Law: An Overview of the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act, Host of TV Program featuring Bridget Duignan and Dan Raspatello, Chicago Bar Association, 2019
Trial of a Medical Malpractice Case, Business Network International, Chicago-River North CGP Chapter, 2019
The Rule of Law, Equal Justice, Fellowship & Community Services, Arab American Heritage Event Presentation to High School Students, Arab American Bar Association of Illinois, 2018
How to Handle a Mediation, ISBA Quick Take Video Presentation, Illinois State Bar Association, 2018
You and the Law: The Structure of the Special Counsel Probe and Related Investigations, Host of TV Program featuring Renato Mariotti and Tom Breen, Chicago Bar Association, 2018
Sharpen Your Trial Skills, Faculty for 4 Session Seminar Series on Opening Statement, Direct Examination, Cross Examination & Closing Argument, Chicago Bar Association, 2018
Products Liability: Plaintiff’s Perspective – 2018 Update, ApexCLE, 2018
How to Become a Trial Lawyer, Illinois State Bar Association Lawyers in the Classroom Program, Columbia Explorers Academy, 2018
The Judicial System and the Importance of Civility, Illinois State Bar Association Lawyers in the Classroom Program, Belding Elementary School, 2018
You and the Law: An Overview of Landlord-Tenant Law, Host of TV Program featuring Charles Drennen and Jake Elkins-Ryan, Chicago Bar Association, 2018
How to Succeed in Law: Top Loyola Alumni Under 40 Panel, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2018
How Third Party Liability Insurers Handle Injury Claims, Business Network International, Chicago-River North CGP Chapter, 2018
You and the Law: Legal Landscape of the Craft Beverage Industry, Host of TV Program featuring Ashley Brandt and Michael Raspatello, Chicago Bar Association, 2017
Moderator of Panel Discussion on Leaving Law School Practice-Ready, Illinois State Bar Association/Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2017
Personal Injury Lawyers … Who Needs ‘Em?, Business Network International, Chicago-River North CGP Chapter, 2017
Products Liability: Plaintiff’s Perspective – 2016 Update, ApexCLE, 2016
Tales from the Well of the Courtroom, Panelist, Illinois State Bar Association/Kent-Chicago College of Law, 2016
You and the Law: An Overview of Residential Real Estate Transactions for First-Time Home Buyers, Host of T Program featuring Alex Filin and Mark Schaeve, Chicago Bar Association, 2016
Trial Practice Skills Series – Cross Examination & Closing Argument, Faculty for CLE Program Sessions, Chicago Bar Association, 2016
Products Liability: Plaintiff’s Perspective, ApexCLE, 2015
You and the Law: Legal and Social Resources for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, Host of TV Program featuring Tom Clark and Phil Carmody, Chicago Bar Association, 2015
Medical Records Law in Illinois – Use of Medical Records at Trial, Lorman Education Services (scheduled to speak and moderate, authored seminar materials, had substitute speaker appear due to conflict with trial), 2014
You and the Law: CLAIM – Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers, Host of TV Program featuring Mary Morten and Alexis Mansfield, Chicago Bar Association, 2014
Law Day Live – Family Law featuring Andrew Vaughn, Webcast Host, Chicago Bar Association, 2014
The Real “One L” – Strategies for Finding Work and Succeeding as New Litigator, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2013
Law Day Live – Law For Pet Owners, Webcast Guest, Chicago Bar Association, 2013
Tips for Aspiring Litigation Attorneys, The John Marshall Law School, 2013
Bioethics in Film, Panelist, Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2012
Premises Liability, Radio Guest, The Legal Forum, WNDZ 750 AM, 2010
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