IN THE NEWS

Chicago Tribune - August 31, 2000

Naperville attorney gets national honor from legal publication

By Art Barnum - Tribune Staff Writer

There's another feather in the cap of Naperville attorney Kathleen Zellner.

The National Law Journal has put Zellner on this year's list of the top 10 lawyers in the nation who always out-prepare their opponents. Members of the exclusive club include Dan Webb, Edward Bennett Williams, Gerry Spence, Susan Getzendanner, Philip Corboy, and Thomas Demetrio.

"I feel honored to be in such company," said Zellner, who built much of her reputation on criminal appeals and now focuses on civil litigation.

The Journal details her efforts in a case in which she representated the family of a woman who committed suicide after being denied treatment by a Chicago hospital. The case ended with a multimillion-dollar award.

"Representing victims in a civil suit allows me to be more passionate about my defense than representing criminal defendants," said Zellner.