Awards
Selected to Illinois Super Lawyers list, 2008-Present, 2025 | Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D., J.D. is well trained and experienced in all aspects of health care delivery and negligence law. A native Chicagoan, he graduated high school at the age of 16, finished college at the University of Illinois (Urbana) at age 19, and graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine (which he attended on full scholarships) at age 23. Dr. Chessick completed his internship at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago; he performed his surgical residency in General Surgery at the Hines Veterans Administration Hospital and the prestigious Boston City Hospital, considered among the best training hospitals in the world and home to the medicals schools of Tufts University, Boston University, and Harvard College. At Boston City Hospital, Dr. Chessick was awarded the highest position of Chief Surgical Resident in 1972-73. Dr. Chessick has taught medical students and resident surgeons from Harvard, Tufts, and Boston Universities. Dr. Chessick did a residency in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at the University of Florida Shands Teaching Hospital in 1979-80. Dr. Chessick has published numerous professional articles in both the medical and legal literature. Dr. Chessick is certified by the American Board of Surgery and a past Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a past president of a Florida chapter of the American Cancer Society, and he has lectured widely on cancer prevention and treatment. Dr. Chessick has special training in laser surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and the surgical and medical treatment of breast, thyroid, and colon and rectal cancer and other problems of the gall bladder, stomach, intestines, and rectum.Dr. Chessick attended the Northern Illinois University College of Law full-time and graduated CUM LAUDE in 1984. He maintains close ties to Northern Illinois University, and he has served on committees and boards, including the prestigious Board of Visitors, and has served as guest lecturer to law school classes. Dr. Chessick has served the College of Law as chairman of the prestigious Board of Visitors, as a Director of the NIU Foundation, as lecturer and moderator of legal seminars on Medical Negligence and Personal Injury Law to law students and the practicing legal community. Dr. Chessick has been honored as the NIU 2001 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. Dr. Chessick is a member of the NIU Foundation Board of Directors. Dr. Chessick has endowed a Legal Skills Courtroom and Training Center, an addition to the NIU College of Law in DeKalb, Illinois. Kenneth Chessick M.D., J.D., is an experienced trial attorney, admitted to the Illinois Bar and United States District Court. Consistent with his specialized medical training and forty year experience, his interests are medical negligence law and catastrophic injuries to people, usually as a result of medical negligence. Dr. Chessick has published numerous legal articles on these topics. Our clients have received compensation for injuries in excess of $200,000,000. The Law Office of Kenneth Chessick, M.D., has won numerous trials and appeals in varied courts, including the Illinois Supreme Court, a decision of which we are particularly proud. Dr. Chessick is also founder and chairman of the Board of Director of Restaurant.com., 2001 | Northern Illinois University College of Law Patron Award, 1996, 1997, 1997 | Nevada, 2000 | U.S. Federal Courts, 1985 | Illinois, 1984 | U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1984 | U.S. Supreme Court, 1984
Speaking
Guest Lecturer, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, Mortar Board Honor Society, October 24, 2013, “How an Ordinary Guy Does Extraordinary Things.” | Symposium Lecturer, Northern Illinois University College of Law 2002 Law Review Symposium, NIU Naperville Education Center, Naperville, Illinois, March 21, 2002, “Technology in Case Management and Trial.” | Guest Lecturer, Northern Illinois University College of Law, Advanced Civil Procedure classes, last April 7, 2000 | Moderator, Northern Illinois University College of Law, Legal Education Seminar, NIU Hoffman Estates Education Center, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, May 21, 1994; “Pragmatic Issues in the Medical Negligence Trial.” | Lecture, Kiwanis Club of Elgin, Golden, K, Elgin, Illinois, September 15, 1993; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: “Coming Health Care Reform in America.” | Lecture, Oakton Community College, Emeritus Encore Lecture Series, Skokie, Illinois, April 21, 1993; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.: "Decision Making and Medical Dilemmas.” | Lecture, Royal Cruise Line, Crown Odyssey, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Africa, March 22, 1992; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: "Medical Malpractice - The Problems, The Causes and The Solutions." | Lecture, Royal Cruise Line, Crown Odyssey, in Dakar, Senegal, Africa, South America, March 21, 1992; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: "Surgery without Incisions - The Explosion in Surgical Technology." | Lecture, Royal Cruise Line, Crown Odyssey, in Salvador, Brazil, South America, March 20, 1992; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: "Living Wills, Powers of Attorney for Medical Decisions, and the Health Surrogate Act." | Lecture, Royal Cruise Line, Crown Odyssey, in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, South America, March 18, 1992; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: "Hospitals - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Picking a Hospital You Can Live With." | Lecture, Royal Cruise Line, Crown Odyssey, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America, March 17, 1992; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: "How to Find a Doctor You Can Trust." | "The Expert Witness - Deposition Skills and Pitfalls", given to American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians. OVERVIEW COURSE, October 12, 1991, J.W. Marriott Hotel, Century City, Los Angeles, California; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D. | Lecture, Royal Cruise Line, Crown Odyssey, in Los Angeles, California, November 22, 1990; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: Medical Malpractice: Greedy Lawyers or Bad Doctors? | Lecture, Royal Cruise Line, Crown Odyssey, in Acapulco, Mexico, Central America, November 21, 1990; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: Common Complaints Where the Sun Don't Shine | Lecture, Royal Cruise Line, Crown Odyssey, in Costa Rica, Central America, November 19, 1990; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: How to Pick a Doctor You Can Trust | Lecture, Royal Cruise Line, Crown Odyssey, in Panama City, Central America, November 17, 1990; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: Surgery without Incisions | Lecture, Royal Cruise Line, Crown Odyssey, in Barbados, South America, November 13, 1990; Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: Miniaturization and Computerization in Medicine and Surgery | "Special Legal Risks in the Emergency Room", given to the Trauma , Conference, Humana Hospital, Hoffman Estates, April 19, 1990 | Lecture to Annual Meeting of American College of Foot Surgeons and American College of Foot Orthopedists, April 5, 1990, Chicago Hilton and Towers, Chicago, Illinois. Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: "Malpractice...The "M" Word | Lecture to Annual Meeting of American College of Foot Surgeons and American College of Foot Orthopedists, April 5, 1990, Chicago Hilton and Towers, Chicago, Illinois. Lecturer, Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D.; Topic: The National Practitioners Data Bank | Risk Management: Medical Malpractice Prevention: 18 Ways to Avoid a Malpractice Lawsuit International Association of Medical Specialists, Inc., March 9, 1990, Breckenridge, Colorado | Risk Management: Special Laws that Affect Doctors: Medical Practice Act, Anti-Kickback Laws, COBRA, Trauma Center Act, and Others International Association of Medical Specialists, Inc., March 8, 1990, Breckenridge, Colorado | Risk Management: How to Testify in a Deposition and At Trial -- As a Defendant, A Subsequent Treater, As an Expert (Tips and Tricks) Association of Medical Specialists, Inc., March 8, 1990, Breckenridge, Colorado | Risk Management: Medical Malpractice Myths, Part I International Association of Medical Specialists, Inc., March 7, 1990, Breckenridge, Colorado | Risk Management: Medical Malpractice Myths, Part II International Association of Medical Specialists, Inc., March 7, 1990, Breckenridge, Colorado | Risk Management: Protecting Yourself from Your Lawyer's Conflict of Interest International Association of Medical Specialists, Inc., March 6, 1990, Breckenridge, Colorado | Risk Management: The Legal Concept of Proximate Cause in Medical Malpractice Litigation International Association of Medical Specialists, Inc., March 6, 1990, Breckenridge, Colorado | Risk Management: Duty, The Doctor-Patient Relationship International Association of Medical Specialists, Inc., March 5, 1990, Breckenridge, Colorado | Risk Management: The Standard of Care in Medical Malpractice Litigation Association of Medical Specialists, Inc., March 5, 1990, Breckenridge, Colorado | Risk Management: Legal Elements of Medical Malpractice: Duty, Standard of Care, Injury and Proximate Cause, International Association of Medical Specialists, Inc., March 4, 1990, Breckenridge, Colorado | Rectal Bleeding in the Elderly Patient Humana Hospital, Senior Citizen Day, November 21, 1989, Hoffman Estates, Illinois | Medical\Legal Aspects of CPR and ECG, Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider Course, Sherman Hospital and Illinois Heart Association, November 8, 1986, Elgin, Illinois | Vascular Problems in Male Erectile Dysfunction: The Causes of Male Impotence, Male Impotence Program, Sherman Hospital, September 17, 1986 | Medical\Legal Aspects of CPR and ECG, Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider Course, Sherman Hospital and Illinois Heart Association, April 26, 1986, Elgin, Illinois | Medical\Legal Aspects of CPR and ECG, Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider Course, Sherman Hospital and Illinois Heart Association, December 7, 1985, Elgin, Illinois | Instructor in Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida , 1979-1980 | American Cancer Society, Lecturer, Citrus County Florida Chapter, 1974 - 1976 | American Cancer Society, Lecturer, Citrus County Illinois Chapter, 1973 - 1974 | Instructor in Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass., 1972- 1973