Terrence J. Lavin - Chicago, IL
Attorney at Clifford Law Offices
Personal Injury Lawyers in Chicago, IL
120 North LaSalle Street 36th Floor Chicago, IL 60602
- Free Consultation
Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer
Updated: 10/28/2026
Areas of Practice
- Personal Injury
Attorney Information
Overview
Terrence J. Lavin is a former justice of the Illinois Appellate Court and a veteran trial lawyer with nearly three decades of experience in complex civil litigation. Over the course of his career, he has developed a disciplined approach to legal analysis, a strong command of evidentiary and procedural law, and the ability to evaluate cases from both trial and appellate perspectives. He offers a comprehensive perspective on litigation strategy, case development, and client advocacy, informed by a career spanning high-stakes trial work, appellate decision-making, and sustained leadership in the legal profession.
Mr. Lavin served as a justice of the Illinois Appellate Court from 2010 through 2026, authoring more than 1,000 published opinions and orders that have contributed to the evolution of Illinois law. His work on the bench required close review of trial records, careful analysis of legal arguments, and a clear understanding of the issues that shape outcomes on appeal. This experience informs his ability to anticipate how cases will be evaluated on review and to develop strategies grounded in clarity, precision, and durability on appeal, with particular attention to how trial-level decisions are framed, preserved, and ultimately scrutinized in the appellate process.
As a trial attorney with a national reputation for handling complex, high-profile cases, Mr. Lavin’s practice focused on personal injury and wrongful death litigation surrounding medical malpractice, auto accidents, and transportation matters. Among his notable cases, he played a central role in litigation stemming from the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 at O’Hare International Airport, one of the most significant aviation disaster cases in U.S. history. Throughout his decades of practice, he worked with leading Chicago firms, including Corboy & Demetrio, Power Rogers & Lavin, and Lavin Law Offices, where he honed a methodical approach to case development and the effective presentation of complex claims, leveraging expert testimony, demonstrative evidence, and trial strategy to present technically complex issues before judges and juries.
In addition to his litigation and judicial work, Mr. Lavin has also contributed to the legal profession through his writing and leadership within prominent legal organizations. He has authored dozens of articles on trial practice, offering insight on client advocacy, the presentation of evidence, and courtroom strategy, with publications appearing in the Illinois Bar Journal, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, and other leading legal publications. He has also mentored numerous law clerks who have gone on to careers in law.
Mr. Lavin is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, both invitation-only organizations that recognize distinguished trial lawyers and judges. He is also a past president of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Society of Trial Lawyers, and has served on the board of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and leadership sections of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American Bar Association. In 2021, he was recognized by the Illinois Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates as its Judge of the Year, reflecting his reputation among experienced trial lawyers across both sides of the bar.
A lifelong Chicagoan, Mr. Lavin was born and raised on the South Side. He earned his undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Illinois in 1977, followed by his Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1983. He later returned to Chicago-Kent as an adjunct professor, where he taught legal writing, further contributing to the development of future litigators through instruction grounded in real-world trial and appellate experience.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Judge of the Year, Illinois Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, 2021
Education
Legal Education
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Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, 1983
J.D.
Non Legal Education
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University of Illinois, 1977
B.S.
Major: Journalism
Current Employment Position(s)
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Of Counsel
Representative Cases
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$32.7 million verdict in a railroad crossing injury case
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$18.5 million verdict for medical malpractice in a stroke misdiagnosis case
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$9.8 million verdict for medical malpractice in a brain aneurysm case
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$6.5 million verdict for medical malpractice in a post-surgical death case
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$4.6 million verdict in an auto accident injury case
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$2.5 million verdict in a workplace hand injury case
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$1.45 million verdict for a wrongful death shooting case
Published Works
Articles
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“Proving Proximate Cause in Malpractice Case,” May 2009, Illinois Bar Journal
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“Lessons from Jury Research,” April 2008, Illinois Bar Journal
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“Expanding the Use of Medical Treatises in Illinois Trials,” August 2006, Illinois Bar Journal
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“The Art of Direct Examination,” June 2003, Illinois Bar Journal
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“Retained Experts’ Opinions in Medical Malpractice Cases,” January 2001, Illinois Bar Journal
- “Proximate Cause,” 2007 (Chapter 10), Medical Malpractice Trial Notebook
- “Proximate Cause,” 2005 Addendum (Chapter 10), Medical Malpractice Trial Notebook
- “Proximate Cause,” December 9, 2000 (Chapter 10), Medical Malpractice Trial Notebook
- “Proximate Cause,” December 11, 1999 (Chapter 10), Medical Malpractice Trial Notebook
- “Proximate Cause,” 1998 (Chapter 10), Medical Malpractice Trial Notebook
- “Falling walnuts and other litigation practice horrors,” August 2006, Illinois Bar News / ISBA Publications
- “New Tort Reforms Gut Illinois Case Law,” March 14, 1995, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Litigants in Med-Mal Cases Must Reckon With Dead Man’s Act,” April 28, 1994, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Seemingly No Issue Has a Monopoly on Junk Science,” February 22, 1994, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “On Questions of Consent to Treatment, Patients Know Best,” January 14, 1994, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Court Redefines Law on ‘Concurrent Tortfeasors’,” December 20, 1993, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Ruling Clarifies Test for Allowing Expert Medical Testimony,” December 6, 1993, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Vicarious Liability Ruling Leaves Hospitals No Place to Hide,” November 26, 1993, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Medical Malpractice Ruling Gives Plaintiffs New Ammunition,” November 12, 1993, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Hearsay Exception Still a Danger at Trial,” May 6, 1992, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Mustering by Defendants: Lawyers Leads to New Trials,” May 28, 1991, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Failure to File Timely Contribution Claim Dooms Defendants,” October 15, 1990, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Proximate Cause in Cases Involving Failure to Diagnose,” May 24, 1990, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Was Physician’s Dismissal from Case Based on Perjury?” July 23, 1989, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Did 2 District Justices Exit From Over Substance?” March 7, 1989, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Courts Expanding Petrillo Ex Parte Witness Holding,” January 9, 1989, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Considering Defenses to a Willful and Wanton Case,” October 6, 1988, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Showcasing the Economics Experts in Big Cases,” April 26, 1988, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Injuries Held Unforeseeable in Kirk Case,” August 14, 1987, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Compliance with Industry Standards,” June 24, 1987, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Ruling Requires Aggressive Discovery Stance,” May 12, 1987, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Controversy Over Rule 220 Decision Continues,” April 23, 1987, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- “Proximate Cause,” Medical Malpractice Trial Notebook, 2007
- “Tips From the Trenches: How to Deal With the Superstar Expert,” ABA Litigation News, January 2000
- “The operation was a success but…,” Chicago Tribune (Letter to the Editor), December 1999
- “Beware of the Empty Chair,” ISBA Tort Trends, December 1999
- “His Trials, My Tribulations: The Life of a First Year Lawyer,” CBA Record, October 1999
- “Psychiatric Malpractice: A Shrinking Cause of Action?,” ITLA Trial Journal, Spring 1999
- “Lost Chance or Survival: Is it a Lost Cause in Illinois?,” September 1996
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1983
- United States Supreme Court
- Supreme Court of Illinois
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
Other Affiliations
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, Inducted 2006
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, Inducted 2007
- The Society of Trial Lawyers, President, 2004 - 2005
- Illinois State Bar Association, Past President, 2003 - 2004
- Illinois State Bar Association, Board of Governors, 1994 - 2005
- Illinois State Bar Association, Assembly, 1994 - 2005
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Managers
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Advocate, 2007
- ISBA Mutual Insurance Company, Board of Directors, 1997 - 2002
- IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, Board of Overseers, 1998 - 2002
- IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, Alumni Association President, 1997 - 1998
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America (Sustaining Member)
- Chicago Bar Association
- American Bar Association, Medical Liability Committee
Photo
Contact
120 North LaSalle Street
36th Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone Number: 312-815-7022
Email: Send a message
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