“Women trial lawyers are uniquely positioned to advocate for women’s equality, inclusion, and access to justice both inside and outside of the courtroom. I have been given an incredible opportunity to affect positive change in real people’s lives and I never take that for granted.”
–Sarah F. King, Partner, Clifford Law Offices, WBAI First Vice President and Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors and Women’s Caucus
Clifford Law Offices is proud to be home to leading female attorneys who have established themselves among the top women in law in the greater Chicago area. Not only do these attorneys exemplify excellence in their field, but they also serve as a voice for justice advocating for women, children, and families, promoting the success and growth of women in the legal profession, and making a difference in our community.
Notable Women in Law
Sarah F. King, partner at Clifford Law Offices, is a notable medical malpractice lawyer in the Chicago area. She works tirelessly to investigate and prepare complex medical malpractice cases to achieve justice for those who have been harmed by medical negligence and wrongdoing.
Sarah is joined by partners Shannon M. McNulty and Yvette C. Loizon, on the Notable Women in Law in 2022 list published annually by Crain’s Chicago Business. The women are honored for their legal success and accomplishments over the last 18 months while in a senior-level role, practicing a minimum of 10 years, and serving as role models for other women attorneys.
Advocating for Mothers and Children
Our firm has a specialized team that advocates for babies and mothers who have experienced a variety of complications stemming from medical malpractice before, during, and after birth. Mother and child injuries during birth are consequential to an entire family and require a specific understanding of medical nuance, practices, and procedures.
In 2019, Sarah lead the medical malpractice trial team that obtained a $101.6 million record verdict on behalf of a baby who sustained brain damage at birth when his external fetal monitoring strips were ignored for six hours at a Chicago-area hospital. Experts testified that the child, now eight years old, would have been born a normal baby had hospital nurses and other medical personnel listened to the mother’s concerns, alerted doctors to the abnormalities, and performed an emergency C-section. The result obtained by Sarah and the team at Clifford Law Offices is the highest birth injury verdict ever obtained in the state of Illinois.
Susan A. Capra, partner at Clifford Law Offices, came to the firm with a background in nursing and experience working largely with infants and children with serious neurological conditions and disabilities. In her transition to the law profession, her work has remained within the medical field, focusing on the practice areas of medical and hospital negligence litigation. Susan has achieved numerous record settlements and verdicts throughout her extensive career and is recognized as a highly respected attorney in Chicago, particularly in cases involving hospitals and the healthcare industry.
“As a nurse, I was the patient’s advocate. As a medical malpractice attorney, I am still the patient’s advocate but in a different arena and profession.”
-Susan A. Capra, partner at Clifford Law Offices
In October 2022, Susan, along with attorney Emily A. Herbick, obtained a settlement for $2.2 million for the loss of a baby at 41 weeks due to alleged negligent prenatal care. In April 2022, Susan, in conjunction with partner Keith A. Hebeisen, obtained a settlement for a baby who died 28 days after birth due to medical malpractice.
Champions for Families, Safety & Community
Clifford Law Offices’ advocacy on behalf of Illinois families does not stop in the courtroom. Sarah King is the current chair of the WBAI’s political action committee, WILPOWER, which is leading the charge in lobbying for paid family and medical leave in Illinois. Under Sarah’s leadership, the group has initiated meetings with state legislators and officials to discuss passing a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program to support families following the birth of a child or those dealing with medical illness and catastrophic injuries/
With growing concern over gun violence and distrust between citizens and police, Yvette C. Loizon, partner at Clifford Law Offices, was one of seven individuals appointed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to a community commission charged with enhancing public safety and law enforcement accountability in August 2022. Yvette is an experienced supervisor of a specialized violent crime investigation unit that focused law enforcement resources on neighborhoods most impacted by violence and was cross-designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney where she focused on long-term violent crime investigations and organized crime. Pamela Sakowicz Menaker, Communications Partner at Clifford Law Offices, was appointed by the President of the American Bar Association to serve a two-year term on a special Human Trafficking Task Force to raise awareness of young innocent girls being trafficked around the world, including in the U.S.
Protecting the future and well-being of Chicago and its people is at the forefront of the Clifford Law Offices mission. Founder and Senior Partner, Robert A. Clifford has developed a number of community involvement initiatives across Chicago and the Midwest.
Clifford Law Offices has strong philanthropic beliefs to support and enrich the Chicago community and serve as a beacon of hope for individuals and families. Many of the firm’s attorneys hold board positions for organizations that echo the beliefs of the firm and speak to their personal interests. Pamela Menaker sits on the Committee of the Diversity Scholarship Foundation where she helped organize the last several galas that raised thousands of dollars for underprivileged students of diverse backgrounds who wanted to attend law school. In 2020, the organization bestowed Pamela with the Advocate for Diversity Award for her service including mentoring young women law students aspiring to be the best in the profession.
Clifford Law Offices has sponsored numerous events and fundraisers to support women including the Friends of Prentice, a non-profit organization committed to protecting women’s health and funding research initiatives that advance women’s health programs with research in basic science, patient care, education, and community service at Northwestern Medicine Prentice Women’s Hospital. Erin Clifford, partner at Clifford Law Offices and founder of Erin Clifford Wellness, is a member of the Friends of Prentice Board and is a champion of the organization’s philanthropic efforts.
The Firm is a proud supporter of Urban Gateways, a Chicago non-profit organization that promotes arts education and experiences to inner-city youth, their families, educators, and community members through free classes and programs led by artists and other professionals. Yvette Loizon is a board member of the organization and is passionate about contributing to the success and reach of the program.
Sarah King has been instrumental with Women Everywhere, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for women and children in need across the Chicago area through education and community service. Sarah serves on the organization’s Board of Directors and Clifford Law Offices has been a donor and supporter of the program for multiple years.
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Proud to Stand with Women Lawyers and WBAI Members
“We have a responsibility to help other women lawyers flourish. The more of us successfully working to make a difference for women, children, and families in our community – the better.”
–Sarah F. King, Partner, Clifford Law Offices, WBAI First Vice President and Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors and Women’s Caucus
Clifford Law Offices supports women trial lawyers because the rise of strong and successful women trial attorneys is critical to ensuring women and children have access to justice and effective representation. To achieve this goal, Sarah co-founded the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) Women’s Caucus. The Caucus encourages female leadership within the profession and is an invaluable resource for the mentorship of young female trial attorneys.
Clifford Law Offices is proud of its reputation and involvement in Chicago and across Illinois. Our firm welcomes members of the WBAI to partner with us on cases and issues that deeply impact our community. To reach our team please email cliffordlawoffices@cliffordlaw.com.
Clifford Law Offices PC
120 North LaSalle Street 36th Floor Chicago, IL 60602