Catherine M Barber

Catherine M. Barber concentrates her practice in civil rights litigation.  She conducts and coordinates all aspects of discovery, up to and including trial.  She has written several winning motions to dismiss in cases involving allegations such as violations of due process, wrongful arrest, and malicious prosecution.  Ms. Barber also wrote the winning motion for summary judgment on behalf of the City of Chicago in a reversed conviction case involving complex issues of municipal liability.  This decision was recently upheld on appeal by the Seventh Circuit.  Ms. Barber has taken and defended numerous depositions and has written countless motions and response briefs involving complicated discovery issues in reverse conviction cases.  Ms. Barber also defended the City of Chicago in a month-long trial concerning claims of unconstitutional policies and defended individual defendant Chicago Police Officers at trial against various claims of constitutional violations.

Ms. Barber co-authored “Criminal Background Checks of Prospective Jurors: Uncovering Unacceptable Juror Bias and Preventing Unnecessary Post-Verdict Litigation”, which was published in June 2013 issue of The Federal Lawyer, the Federal Bar Association’s nationally published magazine.

Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Barber served as an Assistant District Attorney in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  There she was assigned to the Appellate Division, Narcotics Unit, and Juvenile Division.

Ms. Barber has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in consecutive years – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Position
Senior Trial Counsel

Areas of Practice
Civil rights litigation

Bar Admissions
U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 2013
Illinois, 2012
Pennsylvania, 2010

Education
Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, J.D., 2010
Twice awarded “Outstanding Oral Advocate” for exemplary performance in the trial advocacy program
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, B.S., 2006

Awards/Recognitions
Recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in consecutive years – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.  

Legal Affiliations
Illinois State Bar Association
Chicago Bar Association