Laurel A. Rigertas
Associate Professor of Law
B.S., James Madison University
J.D., University of Minnesota Law School
Email: lrigertas@niu.edu
Phone: (815) 753-1680
Room: 197B
Biography
Associate Professor Laurel Rigertas joined the NIU law faculty in 2006. She teaches Professional Responsibility, Torts and Lawyering Skills. Professor Rigertas’ research and scholarship focuses on the legal profession, particularly in the areas of ethics, professionalism, and access to the legal system.
Prior to joining the NIU law faculty in 2006, Professor Rigertas practiced complex commercial litigation as a partner with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Chicago, which she joined in 1999 as an associate. She has litigated cases at the trial and appellate levels in both federal and state courts, as well as in arbitrations and mediations. Professor Rigertas began her law career in 1997 at Jenner & Block in Chicago, where she also focused on complex commercial litigation. Prior to joining the NIU law faculty she also taught as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School of Law and Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Professor Rigertas graduated magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1997. There she was a member of the honorary scholastic society, Order of the Coif, and served as articles editor of Law & Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice.
Recent Activities
- Quoted, "Reforms are Rolled Back," Los Angeles Times, June 17, 2012. Article
- Speaker, The Legacy of Watergate: Reform 40 Years Later, The Chapman Law Review Symposium (January 2012).
- Quoted, "Entrepreneurs Versus Lawyers," Forbes, October 24, 2011. Article
- Quoted, "Online 'scam' results in lawsuit," Kane County Chronicle, May 11, 2011. Article
- Presenter, The Importance of Pro Bono Service, Northern Illinois Law Review Symposium on Human Trafficking (April 2011).
Articles:
- Laurel A. Rigertas, Post-Watergate: The Legal Profession and Respect for the Interests of Third Parties, ___ Chapman L. Rev. ___ (forthcoming 2012).
- Laurel A. Rigertas, Stratification of the Legal Profession: A Debate in Need of a Public Forum, J. Prof. Law. 79 (2012).
- Laurel A. Rigertas, Lobbying and Litigating Against "Legal Bootleggers"- The Role of the Organized Bar in the Expansion of the Courts' Inherent Powers in the Early Twentieth Century, 46 Cal. W. L. Rev. 65 (2009).
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Other Activities:
- Access to Legal Services – Current Issues, Northern Illinois University Law School Homecoming CLE Program, Presenter. (October 2010).
- Technology and Legal Marketing: An Ethical Perspective, Northern Illinois University Law Review Symposium, Presenter, (April 2010).
- Confronting the Challenges of Persons Who Are Mentally Ill: Best Practices and Remaining Issues in the Law, Northern Illinois University Law Review Symposium, Presenter, (April 2009).
- Laurel Haskell, The Rule of Man: A Film Recommendation Leads to a Father's Enduring Lesson, A.B.A. J. Wkly. Newsl., July 22, 2008 (Finalist for the 2008 Ross Essay Contest).
| ABA Journal Online | - Pushing the Boundaries: Balancing the Letter and the Spirit of Professionalism, Address at DuPage County Bar Association CLE Program on Ethics (Sept. 20, 2007).
- Lawyering in the 21st Century: The Electronic Age and Ethics, DuPage County Bar Association CLE Program (January 2007).
Areas of Expertise:
Professional Responsibility, Torts, Lawyering Skills