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John C. Mullen

John C. Mullen
Status: Deceased

(1922 - 2018)

John C. (Jack) Mullen served for three years as a Marine aviator with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant. He graduated from DePaul University College of Law in 1948, and went on to serve as Illinois Trial Lawyers Association President from 1970-1971. As President, Jack Mullen hired the first ITLA Executive Director and focused on lobbying the legislature for the first time by establishing the original PAC which is now ITLA-PAC. They went on to Successfully fight No-Fault Legislation, put together the Oregon Plan which was mandatory medical pay as part of automobile insurance which replaced no-fault. It passed the legislature but was vetoed by the Governor. Through the lobbying system and with bipartisan support, they also eliminated the $30,000 limit on recovery for wrongful death with a republican state senator sponsoring the bill, and a republican governor signing it. He joined the Inner Circle in 1973 and served as Illinois State Bar Association President from 1979-1980.

It was his 1971 case, LeMaster v. Chicago Rock Island & Pacific RR. Co., 35 Ill.App. 3d 1001, 343 N.E.2d 65, (First District 1976) cert. den., that earned Jack his first million-dollar personal injury jury verdict under Illinois law. This verdict was affirmed by the Appellate Court (cert. den., IL Sup. Ct.) and paved the way for affirmation by the Supreme Court of other subsequent jury verdicts of a million dollars or higher. It was this case that qualified Jack for membership in the Inner Circle.
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