William A. Vlasek

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Bill Vlasek is the oldest of four siblings, the son of a steel mill worker and the grandson of immigrant railroad workers. In his family, finishing high school was an accomplishment, becoming a lawyer was reaching for the moon. His pre-legal experience as a steel worker and school teacher has given him insights into the people that serve on his clients’ juries.

Mr. Vlasek’s early career experiences with a general practice that dealt in criminal trials, estate planning, and defending people being evicted or sued for debts have given him a deeper understanding of all aspects of the practice of law.

From 1977 to 1979 Mr. Vlasek operated a “speakers bureau” in which young lawyers gave their time to make presentations and speak at meetings of Unions, Fraternal Organizations and Service Clubs in the south suburbs.

In the 1980’s, with the assistance of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, he organized and ran a PEOPLES LAW SCHOOL at Prairie State Community College in Chicago Heights, Illinois for six Saturdays and attracted standing room only crowds, and in the 1990’s, did the same program at South Suburban Community College in South Holland. Mr. Vlasek has taught other attorneys in continuing education courses for both the Illinois State Bar Association and Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

Education

• Saint Mary’s College
  Winona, Minnesota
  Completed 1968
  History & Political Science
  Bachelor of Arts

• DePaul University
  Chicago, Illinois
  Completed 1973
  College of Law
  Juris Doctor

Bar Admissions

• 1973 – State of Illinois
• 1973 – U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• 1974 – U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
• 1989 – State of Indiana
• 1990 – U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
• 2009 – U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois

Affiliations

• American Bar Association
• Illinois Bar Association
• Indiana Bar Association
• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
• Indiana Trial Lawyers Association
• Public Justice Foundation