40 Under Forty 2025

2025 ILLINOIS ATTORNEYS TO WATCH

SARAH RAISCH

AGE 39

FIRM Romanucci & Blandin, LLC

LAW SCHOOL University of Wisconsin Law School

“

AREA(S) OF PRACTICE Personal injury, medical malpractice, sexual abuse, mass shooting litigation

Her ability to secure life-changing outcomes makes her a standout.

”

S arah Raisch brings energy to every room she enters. Her peers say that this personal injury lawyer has a natural ability to engage others, command attention and inspire those around her with both her words and actions. Raisch’s successes span a wide variety of significant cases and is evidenced in her winning results for her clients, including her important pro bono work . She has a long string of multi-mil- lion-dollar verdicts to her name. For example, she secured a $15 million verdict for a male high school student who suffered abuse from a female teacher, a case that her peers say successfully challenged societal biases. Raisch also earned a $40 million medical malpractice verdict for a young client paralyzed because of surgical negligence, who now needs lifelong care. She also earned a $2 million verdict for a young patient harmed by a negligent pediatric surgeon. Raisch has taken on challenging pro bono work and has earned positive outcomes in this area, as well. For example, she recently won a pro bono case under the Hague Convention that allowed an immigrant mother to remain in the United States with her child. "These results are not only significant in terms of monetary value, but they also reflect Sarah's compassion, tenacity and

exceptional legal skill," said Kelly Sabo Gaden, partner with Levin and Perconti. "Her ability to secure life-changing outcomes, while maintaining the highest ethical and professional stan- dards, makes her a standout." Raisch is dedicated. During one recent 15-month period, she tried four cases to jury verdict. During the decade she spent at the Lake County Public Defender's Office, Raisch tried 20 cases to jury verdict and earned a reputation of tireless, creative, and compassionate advocacy for her clients. In recognition of commitment to her work as a public de- fender, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has appointed Raisch to serve as a member of the Illinois Torture Inquiry Relief Commission. She is one of the lead attorneys in high profile case of nation- al importance, including in the ongoing civil rights litigation for the family of Tyre Nichols, who was killed by Memphis Police Department officers in 2023, and in the ongoing litigation for victims and survivors of the Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "Sarah is an exceptional counsel for her clients," said Elizabeth Massaro, partner with Husch Blackwell. "Sarah pairs her incredi- ble personal skills with her passion for advocacy."

40 Under Forty 2025

CHICAGO LAWYER & CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN