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Larry R. Rogers Jr. (born 1967/1968) is an American lawyer and politician currently serving as commissioner of
Cook County Board of Review The Cook County Board of Review is an independent office created by statute by the Illinois General Assembly and is governed by three commissioners who are elected by district for two- or four-year terms. Cook County, which includes Chicago, is the ...
from the 3rd district since 2004.


Early life and education

Rogers is the son of lawyer Larry R. Rogers Sr. He was raised by his divorced mother, Judith, in
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
. Rogers graduated from the
University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The inst ...
in 1990 with a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
in
managerial economics Managerial economics is a branch of economics involving the application of economic methods in the managerial decision-making process.• Trefor Jones (2004). ''Business Economics and Managerial Decision Making'', WileyDescriptionand chapter-pre ...
. He graduated from
Chicago-Kent College of Law Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school affiliated with the Illinois Institute of Technology. It is the second oldest law school in the state of Illinois. It is ranked 91st among U.S. law schools, and its trial advocacy program is ranked in ...
with his
Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
in January 1994. While at Chicago-Kent, he received American Jurisprudence Academy Award for Trial Advocacy in 1993. Rogers was admitted to the
Illinois Bar The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) is among largest voluntary state bar associations in the United States. Approximately 28,000 lawyers are members of the ISBA. Unlike some state bar associations, in which membership is mandatory, ISBA me ...
on May 5, 1994.


Law career

After joining the Illinois Bar, Rogers joined the
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
firm of Power Rogers & Smith, becoming a
trial lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicitor, ...
focused on
personal injury law A personal injury lawyer is a lawyer who provides legal services to those who claim to have been injured, physically or psychologically, as a result of the negligence of another person, company, government agency or any entity. Personal injury la ...
. An early success for Rogers came when he volunteered to assist Joseph Power to try the Willis case, which saw a $100 million
wrongful death Wrongful death claim is a claim against a person who can be held liable for a death. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by close relatives, as enumerated by statute. In wrongful death cases, survivors are compensated for the harm, ...
verdict for the loss of six siblings of the Willis family that were killed in a
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
crash. It was reported to be the largest single-family settlement in United States History. The crash in question would lead to a federal investigation that discovered a scheme inside then-
Illinois Secretary of State The Secretary of State of Illinois is one of the six elected executive state offices of the government of Illinois, and one of the 47 secretaries of states in the United States. The Illinois Secretary of State keeps the state records, laws, lib ...
George Ryan George Homer Ryan (born February 24, 1934) is an American former politician and member of the Republican Party who served as the 39th governor of Illinois from 1999 to 2003. Elected in 1998, Ryan received national attention for his 1999 morat ...
's office in which unqualified truck drivers were given licenses in exchange for
bribes Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Corr ...
. The investigation culminated in George Ryan going to prison. Rogers has won numerous multimillion dollar jury awards and settlements. Notable cases which Rogers has tried included a case in which Rogers won $5 million for the estate of an individual killed by a 2004
Metra Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines. ...
train crash and a 2007
medical malpractice Medical malpractice is a legal cause of action that occurs when a medical or health care professional, through a negligent act or omission, deviates from standards in their profession, thereby causing injury or death to a patient. The neglige ...
lawsuit against the
Michael Reese Hospital Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center was an American hospital located in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1881, Michael Reese Hospital was a major research and teaching hospital and one of the oldest and largest ...
in which he won $7 million. He has also won settlements from
American Airlines American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passenge ...
, the
Chicago Park District The Chicago Park District is one of the oldest and the largest park districts in the United States. As of 2016, there are over 600 parks included in the Chicago Park District as well as 27 beaches, several boat harbors, two botanic conservatorie ...
, and
Cook County Hospital The John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County (formerly Cook County Hospital) is a public hospital in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Cook County Health and Hospital System, along with Provident Hospital of Cook County a ...
among other defendants. Rogers is now an equity
partner Partner, Partners, The Partner, or, The Partners may refer to: Books * ''The Partner'' (Grisham novel), by John Grisham, 1997 * ''The Partner'' (Jenaro Prieto novel), 1928 * ''The Partners'' (book), a 1983 book by James B. Stewart * ''Partner'' (m ...
at Power Rogers & Smith. His own father is a founding and title partner at the firm. Since 2005, Rogers has been recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer. He hs also received recognition on Leading Lawyers Magazine's list of "top 100 lawyers". From 2004 to 2005, Rogers served as president of the Cook County Bar Association, which is the United States' oldest association of
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
lawyers in the country. He continues to be an active board member of the association. Rogers has been involved in the American Association for Justice,
American Trial Lawyers Association The American Association for Justice (AAJ), formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) is a nonprofit advocacy and lobbying organization for plaintiff's lawyers in the United States. Focused on opposing tort reform, the organizat ...
, Association for Professional Development in the African American Community, Illinois State Bar Association, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. Rogers served as chairperson of the Young Leadership Division of the
National Bar Association The National Bar Association (NBA) was founded in 1925 and is the nation's oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges. It represents the interests of approximately 65,000 lawyers, judges, law profess ...
from 2001 to 2002. He served as vice chairperson and coordinating counsel of minority fairs for the Chicago Bar Association from 1998 to 1999, and as chairperson of its Young Lawyers Division in 1998. Rogers was invited to be a member of the
Inner Circle of Advocates The Inner Circle of Advocates is an organization of civil plaintiff trial lawyers in the United States. To qualify for an invitation, members must have won a physical injury or death case with a million-dollar verdict. The group only admitted mal ...
, a 100 member invitation-only group of trial lawyers from across the United States. On June 5, 2020, Rogers became the president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. He is the association's 67th president. He had been a member of the association since 1993, and had previously served on its board of managers as well as its executive committee. He is only the second African American president of the association, with the first having been his own father, who served as president from 2000 to 2001.


Political career


Cook County Board of Review

In
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, Rogers challenged incumbent Robert Shaw in the Democratic primary for his 3rd district seat on the
Cook County Board of Review The Cook County Board of Review is an independent office created by statute by the Illinois General Assembly and is governed by three commissioners who are elected by district for two- or four-year terms. Cook County, which includes Chicago, is the ...
. Rogers, a political novice and first time candidate, had been recruited by
James Meeks James T. Meeks (born August 4, 1956) is a former Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, who represented the 15th district from 2003 to 2013. He is also an active Baptist minister in Chicago and chaired the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus ...
and
Jesse Jackson Jr. Jesse Louis Jackson Jr. (born March 11, 1965) is an American politician. He served as the U.S. representative from from 1995 until his resignation in 2012. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the son of activist and former presidential cand ...
to oust Shaw, a political rival of Jackson's. Despite having been considered a political newcomer, Rogers won the Democratic primary, and won the general election, unopposed. Rogers would win reelection in
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...
,
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
,
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, and
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
. With the exception of 2008, he was unopposed in all of these years. In his first two years on the board, many reforms he proposed were blocked by its other two members, Democrat
Joseph Berrios Joseph "Joe" Berrios (born February 14, 1952) is a Democratic politician who was the Assessor and Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party of Cook County, Illinois, as well as a registered Illinois state government lobbyist. He was the fi ...
and Republican Maureen Murphy. In 2006, Rogers supported Democrat
Brendan Houlihan Brendan Francis Houlihan (born 1963 or 1964) is an American politician who served a single term as commissioner on the Cook County Board of Review from the 1st district from 2006 to 2010. Early life Houlihan was born in either 1963 or 1964. Hou ...
's ultimately successful bid to unseat Murphy in her Republican-leaning district. In August 2010,
Chicago magazine ''Chicago'' is a monthly magazine published by Tribune Publishing. It concentrates on lifestyle and human interest stories, and on reviewing restaurants, travel, fashion, and theatre from or nearby Chicago. Its circulation in 2004 was 165,000, ...
made public that documents reveal that Rogers and Houlihan had expressed concern in May 2009 about how Berrios' staff had been processing tax appeals championed
Paul Froehlich Paul D. Froehlich (born 1950) was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 56th district, where he served from 2003 to 2011. Education Froehlich earned a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in History from Northea ...
. In 2016, an ethics probe was launched to investigate whether Rogers had profited when his law firm sued the county government, which would be in violation of provisions in the county code. In August of 2018,
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
exposed that Larry Rogers had taken excessive campaign contributions. The Cook County Ethics Board fined Rogers and demanded that he return $44,800.


Prospective 2011 mayoral campaign

In 2011, some had urged Rogers to run for mayor, but he ultimately declined to. However, he initially considered running. In October 2010, the Chicago Coalition for Mayor, seeking to find a "consensus" black candidate for mayor, named him and
Carol Moseley Braun Carol Elizabeth Moseley Braun, also sometimes Moseley-Braun (born August 16, 1947), is a former U.S. Senator, an American diplomat, politician, and lawyer who represented Illinois in the United States Senate from 1993 to 1999. Prior to her Senate ...
as the finalists in its search.


Nonprofit and community work

From 1997 to 1999, Rogers served on the board of directors of the Robert Taylor Boys & Girls Club of Chicago. He served on the board of directors of Windows of Opportunity from 1998 through 2000, and was elected to serve as the chairperson of its auxiliary board of directors from 1996 to 2000. He served on the board of directors of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education from 1999 to 2001. Rogers has been involved in the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and the
NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...
. He has served on the board of trustees for Providence St. Mel School since 2003.


Personal life

Rogers and his wife Rolanda have four children, son Dominique and daughters Erin, Jordan and Sydney. At the time he was first elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Rogers and his family lived in the
Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austr ...
neighborhood of Chicago.


Electoral history

;
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
;
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...
;
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
;
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
;
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, Larry Illinois Democrats Members of the Cook County Board of Review University of California, Davis alumni Chicago-Kent College of Law alumni Lawyers from Chicago African-American people in Illinois politics 1960s births Living people 21st-century African-American lawyers 20th-century African-American lawyers