Professor Laurel Rigertas was appointed to the ISBA Special Committee on the Rural Practice Initiative for 2020-2021. The mission of this new committee is to increase access to attorneys in rural areas of Illinois.
Professor Rigertas joined the NIU Law faculty in 2006. She teaches professional responsibility, torts, advanced torts and a mindfulness course for law students. She also coordinates the first-year course, “Introduction to the Legal Profession: History, Culture and Values.” Professor Rigertas’ research and scholarship focuses on the legal profession, particularly in the areas of ethics, professionalism and access to the legal system. She served as the College of Law’s Interim Dean during the 2019-2020 academic year.
Prior to her career in academia, Professor Rigertas had been a partner at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Chicago since 1999 where she practiced complex commercial litigation. She began her law career in 1997 as an associate at Jenner & Block in Chicago after graduating magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School.
