Rachel Legorreta

Rachel joined the Law Offices of John J. Malm & Associates, P.C. as an associate attorney in 2017, after working at the firm as a law clerk in 2016 and throughout the remainder of her law school tenure. Rachel concentrates her legal practice on cases concerning personal injury, wrongful death, and catastrophic injuries, resulting from car accidents, truck accidents, nursing home abuse and neglect, and slip and falls. Rachel is compassionate about helping others and is dedicated to helping her clients achieve justice and the compensation they deserve.

In addition to her work as a personal injury attorney, Rachel is active in the DuPage County Bar Association and has served as a member on the DCBA’s Civil Law committee and New Lawyers Division committee. She has helped educate DCBA members on various subjects as a presenter through Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs. In addition to the many DCBA committees she serves on, Rachel is a member of the editorial board of the DCBA Brief, a journal published semi-monthly by the DuPage County Bar Association. She recently served as the DCBA Brief’s editor-in-chief, a highlight in her career. Additionally, she has written several legal articles that have been published by the DCBA Brief.

Prior to working at the Law Offices of John J. Malm & Associates, P.C., Rachel served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Judge Donald C. Hudson in the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District. During her time as a judicial extern, Rachel researched case law and drafted judicial opinions on a variety of legal subjects, including armed robbery and criminal sentencing. Her experience as a judicial extern provided her with valuable training in legal writing and research.

Rachel earned her Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from Northern Illinois University College of Law in 2017. She received her undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois University in 2014, with a B.A. in Political Science, and double minors in Philosophy and History.

In her free time, Rachel enjoys reading, crafting, and antiquing. She, along with her husband, Connor, enjoy raising and caring for their two dogs.

Education

Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, Northern Illinois University College of Law, DeKalb, Illinois, 2017
Symposium Editor and Member, Northern Illinois University Law Review | Phi Alpha Delta, Clerk and Member

B.A. in Political Science, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, 2014

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

• Illinois, 2017
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2018

Professional & Bar Association Memberships

• Illinois State Bar Association
• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
• DuPage County Bar Association

Published Articles

• Battle for Baby: Proposed Legislation for Custody Battles over Frozen Pre-Embryos, Asia Pacific Journal of Health Law & Ethics, Vol. 10, No. 1, December 2016, pg. 147-173.
• Willful and Wanton Conduct Under the Tort Immunity Act, DCBA Brief, Vol. 33, No. 1, September 2020, pg. 8-11.
• Examining the Government’s Defenses: Strategic Pleading Decisions Involving the Tort Immunity Act, DCBA Brief, Vol. 34, No. 1, July/August 2021, pg. 14-19.
• Judicial Admissions: A General Overview, DCBA Brief, Vol. 35, No. 1, July/August 2022, pg. 16-19.
• Beware the Slippery Slope: The Snow and Ice Removal Act, DCBA Brief, Vol. 37, No. 1, July/August 2024, pg. 6-9.

Lectures

• Settling the Case: A Plaintiff’s Perspective, Civil Law MCLE Meeting, DuPage County Bar Association, March 6, 2019.
• Dispositive Motions & The Tort Immunity Act, Joint Civil Law and Local Government Sections MCLE Program, DuPage County Bar Association, May 5, 2021.
• Where Do I Begin? Effective Tips in Legal Writing for Publication, DuPage County Bar Association, December 15, 2023.

Honors and Awards

• 2023-2024 DCBA Board of Directors Award, for service as Editor-in-Chief of the DCBA Brief
• Super Lawyers – Rising Star, 2021
• Super Lawyers – Rising Star, 2022
• Super Lawyers – Rising Star, 2023
• Super Lawyers – Rising Star, 2024

Professional Philosophy

Rachel is dedicated to helping her clients obtain the compensation they deserve for their personal injuries. She seeks to keep her clients informed about their cases while working diligently to obtain fair and prompt resolution of their cases. Rachel devotes the time, energy, and resources needed to resolve her clients’ personal injury cases in a timely manner. Our team of personal injury lawyers offers a caring and compassionate approach to representing our clients throughout their cases. “When a client hires our firm, they can rest assured that they have found a litigation team that cares about their case.”

Areas Served

Rachel represents personal injury accident victims throughout Northern Illinois, including the following localities: DuPage County, Kane County, Cook County, Will County, DeKalb County, LaSalle County, Lee County, Ogle County, Stephenson County, Winnebago County, and Grundy County. Rachel also serves the following communities: Naperville, Aurora, Wheaton, Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, Elgin, North Aurora, DeKalb, Sycamore, Rochelle, Rockford, Freeport, LaSalle, Oswego, Ottawa, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, and Joliet.