In recognition of MLK 2021, join us for a conversation and live Q & A with attorney James Montgomery. Mr. Montgomery has extensive litigation experience in both state and federal court and has appeared in trials in various states throughout the country. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and has also appeared before various United States Courts of Appeal and the Illinois Supreme Court to argue cases.

He was involved in several landmark civil rights cases including Hampton v. Hanrahan, a case where the Black Panther chairman, Fred Hampton and Rockford Black Panther leader Mark Clark were murdered during a Chicago police raid. After an 18 month trial and subsequent appeal, the case settled for 1.8 million dollars. In the 60s and 70s, Mr. Montgomery filed suits successfully challenging de-facto school segregation and disparate compensation paid to African-American Full Time Basis substitute teachers in the Chicago Public Schools.

Mr. Montgomery was appointed Corporation Counsel of the City of Chicago, under Mayor Harold Washington, where he supervised a legal staff which exceeded 190 lawyers. In 2001, he also settled a case against the City of Chicago for 18 million dollars on behalf of the Estate of LaTanya Haggerty, who was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer in June 1999. The settlement represents one of the highest awards in the history of the State of Illinois. Mr. Montgomery also settled the wrongful-death case of Rashidi Wheeer for 16 million. Wheeler was a Northwestern football player who died at an unauthorized football practice in August 2001. View the program here.