Chicago, IL -- Sherry H Joseph (she always includes the middle initial as a tribute to her father) was a senior attorney at Lewis Brisbois, a large and multi layered law firm. She was in their Medical Malpractice division, which handles cases where the physician or facility involved is insured and uses their firm to handle claims. Any time a person goes to a medical facility, such as a dialysis center, hospital, laboratory, etc. and makes a claim against a practitioner, they go to work, assessing the viability of the claim, potential conflict of interest, and whether to go to court or settle.

The law firm, which boasts over 40 specialties, decides if there is a plausible claim of negligence (an outcome far beyond the normal complication) and if the case is defensible. This is the perfect situation for someone with her skills and knowledge, because before studying law, this gifted attorney worked for large pharmaceutical chains (in store management.) During her career she rose from a paralegal certificate to an associate’s degree, and then a BS in Organizational Behavior. Recognizing her potential and passion, the attorneys she worked with encouraged her to go to law school, which she finally did and on a merit scholarship. Ms. Joseph got her JD and worked for a boutique firm and as a judicial law clerk before joining the current sophisticated practice.

Ms. Joseph is a natural born fighter, who grew up in poverty and was determined to become something special. She yearned to find out if she could get into the same institutions as those born to privilege and to keep advancing. It wasn’t always easy, particularly since her father and inspiration died just before she began law school, but she achieved her dreams. He had been the only involved and nurturing parent in her life, and it was a tough time.

“My family were immigrants, and I came to Chicago from St. Croix USVI when I was just 9. It’s not a matter of race or gender or culture that kept me climbing. A lower class income was the first hurdle I faced. Now, I know all about scaling mountains, many of them. Men and women from all walks of life have been integral to my quest.”

Ms. Joseph emphasizes that no matter how big the obstacle is, you can tackle it once you set a goal and find information about the steps to get there.  Her gift for research was useful in her education and her early position as a judicial law clerk for three different top judges, two in Cook County and one in Northern Illinois US District Court.

She also stresses that malpractice cases are largely state court cases, and the law can vary from state to state. Additionally, working in a large firm like Lewis & Brisbois has perks and drawbacks. The cases might be interesting, and they pay higher, but there is less interaction with other attorneys than when she worked in a boutique firm. Her current place of practice also strives to give women a voice and has several advocacy programs for women, particularly at the early to mid-career level.

“I was recruited there for my medical malpractice knowledge. They always welcomed my opinion and wanted to put me on a partner track.”

While her work consumes a good deal of her time, this proud attorney enjoys the fine arts, including galleries, museums, and opera, and makes time to travel. Her last vacation involved tours in France, England and Italy.

In her radio show, Sherry H Joseph will talk about these hobbies, the struggle to make strides no matter what odds were against her, and top cases when her expertise made the difference. One she is proud of, which ended up in her very first trial, was Epic vs. Dr. Herrera. She joined the team late in the case, brought herself up to speed, and realized in studying the case that the doctor really had done all that she could for the patient. During jury selection, she felt a vibe about a certain juror and fought to ensure that he was not excluded due to his young age. It worked for her benefit. She is still asked to speak about that case today, and it all still resonates with her. When you pick a jury, she says, it is not about people with deaf ears, it is about who will really listen to evidence and grasp the facts.

Ms. Joseph will go into detail about what it was like to learn the law, build a network of contacts even in a family that never had a lawyer in it, and how to reach out to other attorneys for advice. She pays it forward today, meeting and counseling lawyers and law students through LinkedIn and her alma mater DePaul University College of Law. Ms. Joseph won’t get involved in speaking and mentoring unless she knows she has the time to devote to them. Mentors, or as she calls them, guiding angels, have a terrific value to legal hopefuls and she mentions an employment law attorney named Laurie J. Wasserman as a role model and empowering figure in her own channel.

Learn more about Sherry H. Joseph’s life, past struggles, and future aspirations in this two-part interview.

For more information about this influential woman and attorney, please visit https://marquistoplawyers.com/2025/10/23/sherry-joseph/