Overview
Chelsea L. Caldwell defends professional liability cases, including individual healthcare practitioners and institutions. She has extensive litigation and trial experience, including first and second chair verdicts in Cook and its collar counties.
With a deep understanding of the complexities of healthcare litigation, she’s dedicated to guiding her clients through the legal process with compassion and clarity. Known for her exceptional writing skills and courtroom presence, she’s skilled at simplifying complex medical and legal issues.
Early in her career, Ms. Caldwell practiced plaintiff’s personal injury law. She represented individuals in a wide range of cases, including medical malpractice, wrongful death, car accidents, premises liability, construction negligence, and product liability. This experience gave her an in-depth understanding of the strategies employed by opposing counsel, which she leverages to benefit her clients.
Previously she served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Gwenn Rinkenberger of the Porter County Juvenile Court, a Certified Legal Intern at Valparaiso’s Civil Clinic, and a Law Clerk for the Federal Civil Rights Litigation Division of the City of Chicago’s Department of Law.
Education
- Valparaiso University Law, J.D., cum laude, 2014
- University of Illinois, B.A. in English, 2011
LAW SCHOOL HONORS/INVOLVEMENT
- Dean’s Fellow
- Honors “A” /Highest Grade
- Bioethics & International Human Rights
- Estate Planning
- Advanced Legal Studies
- Honors Program
- Honors Research Fellow
- Trial Advocacy Team
- Chairperson and Coach
Admissions & Affiliations
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court for Northern District of Illinois
Professional Associations
- DuPage County Bar Association
- Illinois State Bar Association
Practices
Results
- Obtained directed verdict for a Cook County hospital by arguing that an independently contracted ophthalmologist was not the apparent agent of the hospital.
- Secured favorable ruling in advance of trial, barring plaintiff’s expert economist from presenting nearly $3.5 million in damages.
Honors
Honors & Awards
- National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 (2020)
- Illinois Super Lawyers
- Rising Star (2021-2024)
