[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S116-S117]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING LARRY ROGERS, SR.

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, last week, Chicago lost a legend, a man 
who devoted his entire life to his community, his family, and to his 
passion--building a more equitable justice system in America. His name 
was Larry Rogers, Sr. And over the past many years, I have been lucky 
to count him as a friend, as well as a role model.
  You see, to families throughout Chicago, Larry Rogers, Sr. was a 
hero. He blazed a trail for generations of lawyers, especially African-
American lawyers, and fought tirelessly to defend our most vulnerable 
neighbors.
  And if you really want to understand who Larry was, you have to start 
with the person who raised him: his mother. Like me, sadly, Larry lost 
his father at the age of 14. It is a loss that not only takes a great 
emotional toll on a family, but a financial one as well. And after his 
father passed, Larry's mom became the sole breadwinner for him and all 
six of his siblings.
  Growing up in the Rosedale neighborhood of the south side of Chicago, 
Larry's mom worked two jobs to support her children and the cost of 
their catholic school education. Her work ethic and deep belief in the 
value of a good education molded Larry into the leader that so many of 
us in Chicago knew and loved.
  Following his mother's example, Larry excelled in school; he was even 
accepted into law school after graduating college, but was forced to 
put his legal career on hold due to a health issue. But like his mom, 
Larry didn't

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have the luxury of slowing down. He was a young father with a family to 
feed. So, after leaving school, he started working three jobs to pay 
the bills.
  One of those jobs was at a gas station across the street from 
Comiskey Park. As fate would have it, that job ended up changing 
Larry's life. It was while working at that gas station that he struck 
up a friendship with a regular customer--a young lawyer named Joe 
Power. After becoming friends, Joe encouraged Larry to finish law 
school and even recruited him to the law firm where he worked.
  It was the beginning of a 40-year friendship and professional 
partnership. Together, Larry and Joe founded a personal injury law and 
medical malpractice firm that has become an institution in in Chicago 
and throughout the legal world: Power Rogers, LLP.
  Soon after he began his career as a trial attorney, Larry swiftly 
emerged as a mastermind in the courtroom, as well as a champion 
pugilist in the fight for justice. In the words of his son, Larry Jr., 
Larry Sr. was, ``the Michael Jordan of law before Michael Jordan was 
the Michael Jordan of basketball.''
  Well, it is true. Back in 1985, for instance, Larry Sr. won the 
largest personal injury victory in Illinois history-an eight-figure 
verdict for families who had been wronged by a baby formula company, 
which had sold chloride-deficient formula and hindered the intellectual 
development of babies consuming it. Fifteen years later, Larry made 
legal history once again: He won a $55 million verdict for a woman who 
had suffered brain damage during a bronchoscopy exam; it was the 
largest medical malpractice verdict that went to judgement in our 
State's history.
  Larry's record in the courtroom is remarkable. In just four decades, 
he won major verdicts for victims of medical malpractice, motor vehicle 
negligence, aviation accident cases, and more.
  And with every victory, Larry didn't just climb the next rung of the 
professional ladder; he looked back and offered a helping hand to young 
lawyers hoping to follow his lead.
  Larry paid his success forward in mentorship, guidance, and support 
for African-American students and attorneys who had long been excluded 
from the legal world. And nobody was better positioned to recruit a new 
generation of change makers than Larry. After all, he served as the 
president of the Cook County Bar Association--CCBA--the first African-
American president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association--ITLA--and 
was awarded an endless list of accolades. He was even named one of the 
top 500 trial lawyers in the entire country.
  But above all, Larry was a dedicated and loving father and 
grandfather. He instilled in his family the same values he learned from 
his own Mom, like a strong work ethic and a deep commitment to serving 
others. And Larry never pressured his kids to follow him into the legal 
career; he simply encouraged them to pursue their passions like he did: 
with diligence and determination.
  Still, Larry's example as an accomplished and principled lawyer had a 
strong influence on his children. Some years after Larry made history 
as the first African-American president of the ITLA, another young 
trailblazer followed in his footsteps: Larry Rogers Jr.--the second-
ever African-American president of the ITLA. Like his Dad, Larry Jr. 
also became the president of the CCBA and, eventually, a partner at 
Power Rogers.
  I have seen for myself how Larry Jr. has followed his Dad's example, 
especially in his commitment to uplifting other, young attorneys of 
color.
  Altogether, there are now three generations of legal professionals in 
the Rogers family. Besides Larry Jr., there is his brother, Dom--an 
injury attorney--and his sister, Ann Marie--a court reporter. 
Additionally, Larry Sr.'s stepson Frederic is also a lawyer, along with 
his niece Carmen, his nephew, Sean, and his grandson, Trevor. And there 
is another star attorney on the way, too: Larry Sr.'s granddaughter, 
Erin, was recently accepted to several law schools.
  For those of us who knew Larry outside the courtroom, we will always 
remember his love of Chicago sports as well as his intrepid spirit. He 
was season ticket holder for both the Bulls and the Bears.
  And he was the captain of his very own Sea Ray sport boat. Larry 
would often invite friends and family to join him on vacations to Lake 
Michigan, Florida, and even the Bahamas--a testament to his generosity 
and eagerness to spread joy to those he loved.
  In the musical ``Hamilton'', legacy is defined as ``planting seeds in 
a garden you never get to see.''
  While Larry Rogers Sr. may no longer be with us, I am absolutely 
certain that the seeds he has planted--as a lawyer, mentor, father, and 
grandfather--will be blossoming for generations to come.
  Chicago--and the entire legal profession--is better because of Larry 
Rogers Sr.'s lifetime of service.
  Loretta and I join Larry's life partner Pam, his children and 
stepchildren--Larry, Jr., Dom, Anne Marie, and Frederic--along with all 
of his nieces, nephews, and grandchildren in mourning his loss. Thank 
you all for carrying his remarkable legacy forward.

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