Robert W. Fioretti (’78) was recently rated one of the top litigators in the nation by Martindale-Hubbell, a rating ranked by peer attorneys. He was also featured in The American Lawyer and The National Law Journal. In addition, Bob was named a 2021 Super Lawyer. Super Lawyers is an exclusive list of top-rated attorneys in specific practice areas who were chosen after thorough evaluation of numerous criteria. No more than 5 percent of the lawyers are selected from each state. He received this honor for 2006, 2008-2011, 2016-2021.
Bob is a member of the law firm Roth Fioretti LLC, where he practices governmental law and complex litigation. Roth Fioretti LLC has an office in Chicago, Illinois, serving the local community. In addition to addressing state, local & municipal legal needs, he also assists clients with civil rights, eminent domain, appellate and general litigation issues.
Bob served two terms on the Chicago City Council as Alderman of the 2nd Ward where he focused on education, community development and job creation. He is a seasoned civil litigator and litigates a wide variety of cases before federal and state administrative law judges as well as in the state and federal courts. Bob advises and represents many governmental units. He is a former Senior Supervising Attorney of the General Litigation Division for the Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago. While there, he was involved in more than 500 civil rights cases, and his personal trial experiences have led to more than 100 state and federal verdicts and appellate court decisions. He represented the family of Baby Tamia in the high-profile adoption case that led to changes in Illinois adoption law. He has been appointed in numerous cases as a Special Assistant Attorney General of Illinois and a Special Assistant State’s Attorney.
He is Past President of both the NIU National Alumni Association and NIU College of Law Alumni Council. He is also a member of the NIU College of Law Board of Visitors. He remains a member of the adjunct faculty. Bob is deeply involved in the Chicago community, where he serves on various boards and lectures extensively. He is Past President of the Historic Pullman Foundation, and presently serves on the George M. Pullman Educational Foundation Board as Assistant Treasurer and Assistant Secretary. He is active in the Chicago Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, serving as a member of the ISBA General Assembly, and the American Bar Association. He has served on the Character and Fitness Committee of the Illinois Supreme Court and the Judicial Evaluation Committee of the Chicago Bar Association Executive Committee.
Bob is a first-generation American and was born and raised in the Pullman/Roseland neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. He received a Pullman Foundation scholarship to attend the University of Illinois where he earned a B.A. in Political Science and served as Student Body President. He earned his law degree from Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1978.