Marie Sarantakis

Marie Sarantakis is the Principal Attorney of Sarantakis Law Group, Ltd. Ms. Sarantakis concentrates her practice in family law and criminal deference matters. In addition to her work in the courtroom, she is versed in alternative methods of dispute resolution as a mediator and Fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois. She was recently recognized by Super Lawyers as Rising Star and named as one of the Top 10 Family Law Attorneys Under 40 in Illinois by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys in 2017.

Ms. Sarantakis is active in the legal community as a member of the DuPage County Bar Association, Co-Chair of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Family Law Committee, Co-Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Law Student Division, Assembly Member of the Illinois State Bar Association, and on the Board of Governors of the West Suburban Bar Association. She also serves as a Young Professionals Board Member of Illinois Legal Aid Online and as an Associate Board Member of the Lawyers Assistance Program of Illinois.

 

Ms. Sarantakis obtained her degree from The John Marshall Law School in 2016. She achieved academic distinction by serving on The John Marshall Law Review and earning three CALI Awards, for the highest grades in her class for constitutional law, evidence, and white collar crime. During that time she clerked as a judicial extern for the Honorable Thomas L. Kilbride of the Illinois Supreme Court and for Davi & Associates, P.C. (where she remains “of counsel”).

2012 – 2016

Doctor of Jurisprudence, cum laude

The John Marshall Law School – Chicago, IL

Member of The John Marshall Law Review

 

2008 – 2012

Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude

Carthage College – Kenosha, WI

Majors: Honors Political Science & Philosophy

• DuPage County Bar Association, Guardian ad Litem Training, 2018
• DuPage County Bar Association, Comprehensive Arbitrator Training, 2017
• Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice Training, 2017
• Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, Leadership Institute, 2016
• Center For Conflict Resolution, 40-hour Mediation Training, 2015
• Junior Statesmen of America, Georgetown University Summer Institute, 2007

• 2018 – Rising Star – Super Lawyers of Illinois by Thomson Reuters
• 2017 – National Family Law Academy – Top 10 Family Law Attorneys Under 40 (Illinois)
• 2016 – CALI Excellence for the Future Award – White Collar Crime
• 2015 – Public Interest Advocate Award, Diversity Scholarship Foundation
• 2015 – Anthony J. Fornelli Emerging Leaders Award, Justinian Society of Lawyers
• 2014 – CALI Excellence for the Future Award – Constitutional Law
• 2014 – CALI Excellence for the Future Award – Evidence
• 2010 – Wingspread Fellow of the Johnson Foundation
• 2010 – Wisconsin Sociological Association Undergraduate Student Paper Award
• 2010 – American Criminal Justice Association Undergraduate Student Paper Award
• 2007 – Clausen Scholar – Full Academic Undergraduate Scholarship, Carthage College
• 2007 – Patterson Leadership Award, Lake Forest College
• 2006 – Southeastern Wisconsin DECA Fashion Merchandising Management Award
• 2005 & 2006 – President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence

American Bar Association, 2012 – Present

• Committee Laison, GP Solo/Fam Law Section Working Group on Alimony Deductibility, 2018
• Co-Chair, ABA Solo, Small Firm, and General Practice Division Family Law Committee, 2017
• Fellow, ABA Solo, Small Firm, and General Practice Division, 2017 – 2018
• Co-Chair, ABA Young Lawyers Division Family Law Committee, 2017 – 2018
• Vice Chair, ABA Young Lawyers Division Family Law Committee, 2016
• Content Editor, Young Lawyers Division Family Law Newsletter, 2016- 2017
• State & Local Bar Outreach (Executive Appointment), 2016
• 7^th Circuit Lieutenant Governor, Law Student Division, 2015

 

             Association for Conflict Resolution, 2015

• Member, Chicago Chapter, 2015

 

Chicago Bar Association, 2012 – Present

• Chair, Law Student Division, 2016 – Present

 

Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, 2018 – Present

• Fellow, 2018

 

Cook County Bar Association, 2017 – 2018

 

Decalogue Society of Lawyers, 2017 – Present

 

DuPage Association of Women Lawyers, 2016 – 2017

 

DuPage County Bar Association, 2015 – Present

• Judge William Bauer Scholarship Recipient, 2015

 

DuPage Legal Assistance Foundation, 2018 – Present

• Judges’ Night Committee, 2018

 

Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois, 2011 – 2016

• Law Student Scholarship Recipient, 2014

 

Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2017 – Present

 

Illinois Bar Foundation, 2017 – Present

• Lawyers Rock Event Committee , 2017

 

Illinois Legal Aid Online, 2013 – Present

• Young Professionals Board Member, 2013 – Present
• Host Committee Member, ILAO 7^th Annual Fundraising Gala, 2017

 

Illinois Lawyers Assistance Program, 2016 – Present

• Associate Board Member, 2016 – Present
• Trained Intervention Volunteer, 2016 – Present

 

Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association, 2017 – Present

 

 

 

 

 

 

Illinois State Bar Association, 2012 – Present

• Assembly Member (Elected), 2017 – Present
• Chair, Exploratory Committee on Fundraising Efforts, Young Lawyers Division, 2017 – Present
• Co-Chair, YLD Speed Networking Planning Committee, 2017 – Present
• Delegate, American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, 2017 – Present
• Mentor, Young Lawyers Division, 2017 – Present
• Volunteer, Law Related Education Committee, Lawyers in the Classroom, 2017 – Present
• Volunteer, Law Related Education Committee, Mock Trial Tournaments, 2016 – Present
• Committee Member (Appointed by the President), Young Lawyers Division, 2014 – Present
• Newsletter Editor, Young Lawyers Division, 2015 – Present
• Law Student Committee Co-Chair, Young Lawyers Division, 2016 – Present
• Committee Member (Appointed by the President), Task Force on Rule 711, 2015 – 2017
• Social Media Content Editor, ISBA President’s Page – Facebook, 2015 – 2016
• Committee Member (Appointed by the President), Family Law Section Council, 2015-2016
• Law Student Representative, The John Marshall Law School, 2014 – 2016

 

Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 2016 – 2017

• Winter Social Committee, 2017

 

International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, 2017 – Present

 

The John Marshall Law School Alumni Association, 2015 – Present

• Director – 2017 – Present
• Board of Trustees – Student Liaison Committee, 2015 – 2016
• Freedom & Distinguished Service Award Committee, 2015

 

The John Marshall Law School Children & Family Law Society, 2017 – Present

• Alumni Relations Chair, 2017 – Present

 

Justinian Society of Lawyers – Cook County, 2013 – Present

• JMLS Law Student Chapter President, 2014 – 2015
• Law Student Scholarship Recipient, 2013 & 2014

 

Justinian Society of Lawyers – DuPage County, 2016 – 2017

 

Kane County Bar Association, 2016 – Present

 

Lake County Bar Association, 2014 – 2016

 

National Association of Women Lawyers, 2014 – 2015

 

National Italian American Bar Association, 2016 – 2017

 

Northwest Suburban Bar Association, 2013, 2016, 2018

 

McHenry County Bar Association, 2014 – 2015

 

Phi Delta Phi International Honor Society, 2013 – Present

• Chief Magister, Stevens Inn, 2014 – 2015
• Balfour Scholarship Recipient, 2015

 

State Bar of Wisconsin, 2014 – Present

• Family Law Executive Board Liaison, 2014 – 2015

 

 

 

 

West Suburban Bar Association, 2017 – Present

• Board of Governors, 2017 – Present

 

Will County Bar Association, 2014 – 2015

 

Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, 2013 – 2017

• Committee Member, Top Women Lawyers in Leadership Awards, 2016
• Committee Member, Community Outreach and Access to Justice, 2016 – Present
• Social Media Content Editor, Facebook, 2015 – Present
• Lead Co-Chair, Communications & Social Media Committee, 2015 – 2016

• ISBA Senior Lawyers CLE, Computers for Seniors: The Next Step, College of DuPage (May 18, 2018)
• DCBA Young Lawyers Committee, Building Your Book of Business, Wheaton, Illinois (May 17, 2018)
• ABA National Teleconference Family Law, Shared Parenting Time Legislation – Does Fair Mean Equal? (April 23, 2018)
• College of DuPage Paralegal Program, Generational Differences and Shifting Employer Needs in Law Firms (April 4, 2018)
• ISBA Family Law CLE Roundtable, Session 5 on Property Division, Chicago, IL (May 18, 2017)
• ISBA Family Law CLE Roundtable, Session 4 on Defense of Allegations of Serious Child Endangerment, Chicago, IL (March 2, 2017)
• The John Marshall Law School Children & Family Law Society, Funny Business: Effectively Using Humor in Lawyer Marketing, Chicago, IL (February 27, 2017)
• ISBA Family Law CLE Roundtable, Session 3 on Impeachment of Expert Witnesses, Chicago, IL

(January 26, 2017)

• ISBA Family Law CLE Roundtable, Session 2 on Admissions Offered Prior to Trial, Chicago, IL

(November 17, 2016)

• ISBA Family Law CLE Roundtable, Session 1 on Pleadings, Chicago, IL (September 14, 2016)
• Featured guest on Fox News Radio – The Dr. Don Show (2014)
• Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI (2011)
• Association for the Sociology of Religion Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV (2011)
• Wisconsin Sociological Association Joint Conference, La Crosse, WI (2011)
• Wisconsin Political Science Association, Milwaukee, WI (2011)
• Wisconsin Institute of Peace & Conflict Resolution Studies Annual Conference, Fon du Lac, WI (2009)

Are Young Lawyers Less Civilized?, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

Vol. 164, No. 48, March 7, 2018

also featured on the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, 2Civility Blog, May 18, 2016.

 

Who Keeps the Family Pet When Parties Obtain a Divorce, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Animal Law Division Newsletter, February 2018

 

Alaska: The New Frontier of Pet Custody, American Bar Association

ABA Young Lawyers Division Family Law Newsletter, Spring 2018, Vol. 1, No. 1

 

Five Tips for New Lawyers Starting Their Own Practice, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, June 2017, Vol. 61, No. 6

 

What Family Law Practitioners Need to Know About Cyberstalking, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Family Law Division Newsletter, May 2017, Vol. 60, No. 10

 

 

Five Traits of a Successful Family Law Attorney, Illinois State Bar Association (co-authored with Umberto Davi)

ISBA Family Law Division Newsletter, April 2017, Vol. 60, No. 9

 

Understanding the Fundamentals of Pet Trusts, American Bar Association

ABA Young Lawyers Division Family Law Newsletter, Winter 2017, Vol. 1, No. 1

 

Five Shocking Divorce Statistics, American Bar Association

ABA Young Lawyers Division Family Law Newsletter, Winter 2017, Vol. 1, No. 1

 

Marie Sarantakis Interviews Celebrity Divorce Attorney Randall Kessler, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, February 2017, Vol. 61, No. 3

 

Eight Quick Tips for Drafting Family Law Complaints, American Bar Association

ABA Young Lawyers Division Family Law Newsletter, Fall 2016, Vol. 1, No. 1

 

Five Ways to Enhance Your Credentials as a Family Law Practitioner, American Bar Association

ABA Young Lawyers Division Family Law Newsletter, Fall 2016, Vol. 1, No. 1

 

Announcing the New ISBA Website for Young Lawyers, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, October 2016, Vol. 61, No. 2

 

A New Option for New Lawyers: Your New Downtown Office, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, August 2016, Vol. 61, No. 1

 

Remembering Justice Thomas Fitzgerald, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Bench & Bar Newsletter, June 2016 Vol. 46, No. 9

 

ISBA BOG & Assembly Approve Proposed Amendment to Rule 711, Lake County Bar Association

The Docket, Volume 23, May 2016

 

Justinians Donate Over $7,000 at Children’s Endowment Dinner, Justinian Society of Lawyers

Justinian Society Newsletter, Spring 2016

 

ISBA Approves Proposed 711 Rules, Justinian Society of Lawyers

Justinian Society Newsletter, Spring 2016

 

Ten Changes in Family Law Practitioners Need to Know in 2016: A Brief Summary of Modifications to the IMDMA, ISBA Family Law Newsletter, December 2015, Vol. 59, No. 6

 

Eight Tips for Law Students Taking the MPRE, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, December 2015, Vol. 60, No. 3

 

How to Use LinkedIn to It’s Maxiumum Potential, Illinois State Bar Association (co-authored with Erin Wilson)

ISBA Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, December 2015, Vol. 60, No. 3

 

Five Methods to Transcend from Zealous to Zen, Womens Bar Association of Illinois

Women’s Bar Association of Illinois Newsletter, Fall 2015

 

Your Law Review Article was Rejected. Now What?, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, August 2015, Vol. 60, No. 1

 

Taking the “Me” Out of Mediation, Ms. JD

Ms. JD Blog, March 29, 2015

 

Is Law School Worth the Investment?, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, Fall 2014

 

Five Things I Wish I Had Known as a First-Year Law Student, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, February 2014, Vol. 58, No. 4

 

Five Simple Rules to Protect Your Reputation as a Law Student, Illinois State Bar Association

ISBA Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, Summer 2013

 

Essentially Raw, Adrikos Media Press

Raw Food Guide, Amazon.com Top 100 Best-Selling E-Books (Summer 2012)

 

Aging Millennials: Predictions on the Progression of Public Policy Regarding Same-Sex Civil Liberties, WSA

Sociological Imagination, Spring 2011, Volume 47

• Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program, Associate Board Member, 2016 – Present
• Illinois Legal Aid Online, Young Professionals Board Member, 2013 – Present
• Orphans of the Storm, Off-Site Adoption Event Volunteer, 2012 – 2014
• Daughters of Penelope, Member, 2012 – 2013
• Kenosha Public Museums, Paleontology Docent, 2009 – 2011
• Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Lake County, Mentor, 2006 – 2008