Mattsin, Kurt R

Michael J. Maslanka is an attorney in the downtown Chicago, Illinois law firm of Sacks, Goreczny, Maslanka & Costello, P.C. He has been affiliated with members of the firm since 1992. Michael is a graduate of Brother Rice High School (Chicago, IL), Saint Xavier College (now known as Saint Xavier University, Chicago, IL), and Southern Illinois University School of Law (Carbondale, IL). He was licensed to practice law in Illinois in 1984, and is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

He is a member of the following associations: American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association, and Du Page County Bar Association. He has been actively involved in the work of the Illinois State Bar Association for many years, and is currently a member of the Human Rights Section Council, and the Standing Committee on Bar Services and Activities. He is also President of the American Prepaid Legal Services Institute, and a former member of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Group and Prepaid Legal Services.

Michael co-authored articles on Illinois administrative law, which were published in Southern Illinois University School of Law Journal Surveys. He has spoken at many Continuing Legal Education seminars, been quoted in the L.A. Times and in several law journal articles, and is an active newsletter article author.

The law firm has a substantial general practice in Cook County and the collar counties. Michael handles a wide variety of cases, and is fluent in Spanish. He is a provider attorney for group and prepaid legal service plans, as well. Over his career he has presented oral argument before the Illinois Appellate Court, successfully pursued political asylum for a Haitian national, defended consumers’ rights, settled many claims, including against Unicare, effected reimbursement for a client from a car dealer in a fraudulent sale transaction, pursued penalties from governing state agencies against defendants, and helped a parent in one case collect over $25,000.00 lump sum in past-due child support and expenses. Last year, Michael won a 5-day probate trial regarding a revocable living trust amendment, and successfully defended against a motion to stay that order.

Finally, Michael has been making pro bono visits for many years to elderly and disabled clients.