TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Larry R. Rogers, Sr. 1917–2023
Prominent Chicago Attorney, First African American President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Assocation
By Aaron Williams
He spent over 37 years representing complex personal injury and wrong- ful death cases. Rogers earned an excellent reputation as a trial attorney, winning numerous multimillion-dollar personal injury settlements and verdicts for his clients in many cases, including wrongful death, medical malpractice, motor vehicle negligence, and aviation accident negligence. In his first trial in Cook County, Rogers won $27 million in a product li- ability case for his client, which in 1985 was the largest personal injury verdict in Illinois history. Since then, Rogers has recovered many multimillion-dollar personal injury verdicts and settlements, including recently winning $55 million for a brain-damaged woman, Illinois’ largest medical malpractice verdict in the last decade. Rogers held memberships with the Chicago Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar As- sociation, American Bar Association, National Bar Association, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, American Associa- tion for Justice, International Society of Barristers, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the American Col- lege of Trial Lawyers. He was elected president of the Cook County Bar As- sociation and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, serving as the latter’s first African American president. At the time of his passing, Rogers was a long- time member of the DePaul University Board of Trustees. During his distinguished profes- sional career, Rogers earned numerous achievements, including the Chicago Bar Association’s John Paul Stevens and Earl B. Dickerson Awards. Rogers was
an honored recipient of the Richard E. Westbrook Award for legal excellence from the Cook County Bar Association and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Black Law Students Asso- ciation of DePaul University. He was honored with the College of Law Alumni Award for Outstanding Service to the Legal Profession. Brother Larry R. Rogers, Sr., was preceded in death by his parents, sister Lynda and brothers Eddie and Dwight. He is survived by his life partner Pamela Anderson; his children Larry (Ralonda) Jr. (Iota Sigma 1988), Ann Marie, and Frederic; siblings Gwendolyn, Riley, Brenda, and Anthony (Vanessa); eight grandchildren, Trevor, Dominque, Jalen, Camryn, Erin, Sydney, Jordan, and Sterling; and three great grandchildren, Naomi, Aiden and Jayce; and a host of close friends, and relatives.
U nited States Senator Dick tions of lawyers and helped the Black community defend its most vulnerable members…and devoted his life to the Black community, his family and the passion of building a more equitable justice system in this United States.” Prominent Chicago attorney Larry R. Rogers, Sr. (Chicago (IL) Alumni 2001) entered the Chapter Invisible on Janu- ary 19, 2023. His longtime friend and partner, Joseph Power, said to the Chi- cago Defender newspaper, “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.” One of eight children born to Dr. Riley and Catherine Rogers, Rogers was born on December 29, 1947, in Chi- cago, IL. After graduating in 1965 from Mendel Catholic High School, Rogers earned a B.A. in 1974 from Saint Xavier Durbin (D-IL) called attorney Larry Rogers Sr.,”…a hero who blazed a trail for genera- University in Chicago, IL. Rogers worked multiple jobs while attending DePaul University College of Law, earn- ing a J.D. in 1983. He also held honor- ary degrees from Saint Xavier University, DePaul University College of Law, and the University of Illinois-Chicago John Marshall School of Law. Rogers was a founding partner of the personal injury law firm Power Rog- ers LLP with attorney Joseph Power.
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