Douglas Rallo’s “pioneering legal theory” on valuing the lost enjoyment of life “is credited with winning millions of dollars for people severely injured or people severely injured or for the survivors of those killed by the negligent conduct of others…”
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Douglas Rallo is “on the cutting edge of an idea taking hold across the country...”
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In a landmark civil rights wrongful death case in 1985, Douglas Rallo created the concept and coined the term “hedonic damages.” For the first time ever in an American courtroom, Douglas Rallo presented economic evidence to a jury to calculate the lost value of the enjoyment and pleasure of living - the value of life itself.

Since then, Douglas Rallo has been winning millions of dollars for clients throughout Illinois and Southeast Wisconsin. Mr. Rallo’s remarkable relationships and outstanding achievements for his clients has given him a reputation for success.

Professional licenses include:

Illinois Supreme Court (1979)

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1998)

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois,
       Trial Bar and General Bar (1980)

United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin (1995)

United States District Court, Western District of Wisconsin (2001)

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (1979)

Education:

John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois, Juris Doctor (1978)

University of San Diego Law School, Institute on Comparative
       and International Law, Paris, France (1977)

Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, Bachelor of Arts
       in Political Science, with a minor in Public Administration (1975)

United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin (1995)

United States District Court, Western District of Wisconsin (2001)

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (1979)

Honors and Awards:

Who's Who in American Law, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Editions,
       Marquis Publishing

Who's Who in America, 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th 58th and 62th Edition,
       Marquis Publishing

Kingston's National Registry of Who's Who, 2000 Edition
       (Life member No. 197632)

Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges (1975)

Accomplishments reviewed in Newsweek Magazine, (Feb. 27, 1989) and
       Chicago Tribune (Jan. 15, 1989); quoted in National Law Journal (April 17, 1989)
       Martindale-Hubbel Law Directory = "BV" Rated
       (Legal Ability Rating = "High to Very High")
       (General Recommendation Rating = "Very High")

Pi Sigma Alpha, The National Political Science Honor Society

Notable Cases:

Sherrod v. Berry, 629 F.Supp. 159 (1985)

Landmark wrongful death case where Douglas Rallo introduced the concept of, and coined the term, "hedonic damages".

Hedonic damages compensate for the loss of a person's enjoyment and pleasure
of life itself. This is the first case in the country where an economist's testimony was
admitted into evidence as proof of the value of a decedent's expected life.

Sherrod v. Berry, 589 F.Supp. 433 (1984)

Attorneys jointly representing police officer, chief of police, and municipality were not subject to disqualification in civil rights police shooting case, where all defendants admitted that officer was in the exercise of police power at the time of the shooting, asserted common defense, and city had ordinance requiring it to indemnify individual defendants in the event of a judgment against them.

Publications and Activities:

Author, "Recovering Lost Earning Capacity Under the Workers' Compensation Act",        90 Illinois Bar Journal 348 (July 2002)

Author, "Insurance Write-Offs and the Collateral Source Rule",
       38 Trial 42 (September 2002)

Author, "Proof of Medical Expenses at Trial: Insurance 'Write Offs' and the
       Collateral Source Rule", Trial Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer 2001)

Author, "Curative Admissibility: Two Wrongs Can Make a Right", The Docket,
       Vol. 2, No. 10 (Oct. 1995)

Author, "Perjury Statute Update: A New Supreme Court Interpretation of
       Materiality", The Docket, Vol. 2, No. 7 (July 1995); Lake County Bar Association

Author, "No Cure Yet for Spoliation of Patient Records", 6 Chicago Bar
       Association Record, 29 (Oct. 1992)

Author, "Hedonic Damages: Valuing the Enjoyment and Pleasure of Life in
       Wrongful Death and Personal Injury Litigation", The Illinois Association of
       Defense Trial Counsel Newsletter, Vol. 10, No. 1 (1990)

Lecturer, "Hedonic Damages in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation",
       Northwest Suburban Bar Association, McHenry County Bar Association and
       DuPage County Bar Association (1989)

Lecturer, "Civil Practice and Procedure" (Expert Witnesses), Illinois State
       Bar Association (April 28, 1989)

Moderator & Lecturer, "Medical/Legal Seminar," Lake County Bar Association
       (November 16, 1994)

Researcher for "A Functional Analysis of the Criminal Code Reform Act of 1978",
       Submitted to the United States House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

Panel Attorney for Illinois State Appellate Defenders Office (1980)

Teacher, "Everyday Law", Mundelein High School and Libertyville High School       
       Adult Education Program (1988-1989)

Editor, Justinian Society Newsletter (1981-1982)

Chairman, Medical/Legal Committee of the Lake County Bar Association
       (1993-1994)

Radio Interview. February, 1989. Chicago Public Radio, WBEZ 91.5 FM,
       Chicago, IL

Radio Interview. February 21, 1989. Breakfast Edition with John Sweeney,
       KGIL 94.3 FM, Mission Hills, CA

Radio Interview. March 2, 1989. Bruce Bradley Show, KMOX, St. Louis, MO

Radio Interview. September 8, 1989. Dan Keeney Show, WKRS-AM, Waukegan, IL

 

Professional Society Memberships:

Illinois Trial Lawyers Association

Illinois State Bar Association

Lake County Bar Association

State Bar of Wisconsin

Civic Activities:

Libertyville Youth Commission (5/8/90-1994)

Libertyville Jaycees (1990-1991)

Civic Center Foundation of Libertyville (1990-1991)

Livertyville/Mundelein/Vernon Hills Chamber of Commerce
       (1990-1991 and 1998-1999)

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Vice President (1989-1991)

Civic Activities:

"Comparative Negligence and Contribution", Illinois Institute for Continuing
       Legal Education, Chicago (1983)

"What the Personal Injury Attorney Must Know About Head Injuries", Illinois
       Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Chicago (1985)

"Personal Injury Anatomy", Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education,
       Chicago (1986)

"How to Present and Defend a Personal Injury Case", Illinois State Bar Association,        Chicago (1991)

"Complex, Revision, and Quaternary Spine Surgery", Rush Medical School,
       Chicago (June 18, 1994)

"Mini-Internship Program", Lake County Medical Society (1993)

"Medical Negligence Trial: The Winning Plaintiff's Case-in-Chief", Illinois Trial
       Lawyer's Association (1997)

"21st Annual Torts Update", State Bar of Wisconsin (1998)

"An Introduction to Worker's Compensation", State Bar of Wisconsin (1998)

"Appeals in Worker's Compensation Claims", Illinois State Bar Association (1999)

"Legal Ethics in the Real World", State Bar of Wisconsin (1999)

"Winning Your Case With Killer Cross-Examination Techniques", State Bar
       of Wisconsin (1999)

"Trial by Jury - A Jury's Perspective", State Bar of Wisconsin (2000)

"Proving Your Case Through Cross-Examination: A Trial Demonstration Seminar"
       State Bar of Wisconsin (2000)

"Anatomy of a Civil Trial", State Bar of Wisconsin (2000)

"Legal Ethics 2001: Surveying the Cutting Edge Issues"
       State Bar of Wisconsin (2002)

"Negotiation Strategies for Experienced Attorneys: Gaining the Edge"
       State Bar of Wisconsin (2002)

"Medicare Liens in Workers' Compensation Cases", ABA Center for
       Continuing Legal Education (2002)

"School Law Issues in Illinois", National Business Institute (2002)

 

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