Robert A. Clifford to be Awarded Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award

Robert Clifford, 68, is the founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices and concentrates his practice in helping victims of personal injury, medical malpractice, mass torts, consumer and health care fraud, product liability and aviation and transportation disasters.

Clifford received his undergraduate degree at DePaul University in 1973.  He continued his studies at DePaul University, College of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1976.  He earned an honorary Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from DePaul College of Law in 2003.

In 1976, Clifford was admitted to the State of Illinois Bar.  He is also licensed to practice law before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh and Second Circuits; the U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois; the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar; the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois; and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Clifford began practicing law at Philip H. Corboy & Associates in Chicago.  He founded Clifford Law Offices in 1984 and it has been consistently ranked as one of the top law firms in Illinois, as well as in the country, in the area of complex personal injury and wrongful death cases.  His office is known for its work on class action litigation and whistleblower cases, as well as commercial litigation cases.

For over 40 years, Clifford has been an active member of ITLA.  He has served many roles within the organization and has held prominent positions in various ITLA committees, including ITLA’s Executive Committee.  He served as president of ITLA in 1990.

Clifford is very active in other professional organizations as well.  He has held leadership positions with the American Association for Justice (AAJ), the American Bar Association (ABA), the Chicago Bar Association (CBA), and the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA).

Best Lawyers/U.S. News & World Report has named Clifford as the Lawyer of the Year in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions in 2016 and again in 2019 in the Chicago metropolitan area.  He has been named #1 Super Lawyer in Illinois and Chicago several times.  He has also been recognized as a Top Ten Consumer Leading Lawyer in Illinois.

In addition to Clifford’s legal accolades, he is extremely focused on philanthropic endeavors. Most notably, he serves with his wife Joan on the Board of Directors for the Naples Children and Education Fund, an organization dedicated to improving the physical, emotional and educational lives of underprivileged and at-risk children in Collier County.

“The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association has been part of my life my entire career,” Clifford said. “I am proud to be part of such a respectful association that focuses in representing injured consumers and workers. Receiving the Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award is truly an honor.”

Clifford is first and foremost a dedicated family man and spends as much time as possible with his wife Joan and daughters Erin and Tracy. Not to mention, he is extremely excited about his new grandson Dominic (the apple of his eye). In particular, Clifford enjoys spending summer weekends up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with the entire family in tow.

Past Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Jon G. Carlson, Rex Carr, Kevin J. Conway, Robert J. Cooney, Philip H. Corboy, George J. Cullen, Joseph R. Curcio, David A. Decker, Thomas A. Demetrio, James Thomas Demos, Geoffrey L. Gifford, William J. Harte, Thomas Q. Keefe, Jr., Thomas F. Londrigan, Philip F. Maher, Nicholas J. Motherway, Nat P. Ozmon, Eugene I. Pavalon, John G. Phillips, Joseph A. Power, Jr., Kim E. Presbrey, Anthony C. Raccuglia, Curt N. Rodin, Larry R. Rogers, Sr. and Michael P. Schostok.

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