Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Civil Rights, Criminal Defense; view more
Licensed in Illinois since: 2007
Education: University of Wisconsin Law School
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2025 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2019 - 2021 Call today:
312-858-8188
Free Consultation Uche, P.C.
314 N Loomis St#G2
Chicago, IL 60607 Visit website
Details
Attorney Uche is a nationally recognized litigator and trial lawyer. Attorney Uche’s talent, dedication and passion for advocacy has led him to successfully try to verdict over five hundred cases that span multiple legal specialties ranging from personal injury to criminal/DUI cases.
For instance, Attorney Uche recently secured a $1.18 million jury verdict against the City of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department in Cockerham v. City of Chicago; a nationally publicized civil rights case involving the shooting death of a 23-year old man by a Chicago police officer. Additionally, in Jones v. Villa at South Holland, Attorney Uche secured a record jury verdict of $625,000 for an elderly woman who suffered 11-hours of emotional distress while at a nursing home.
Within the area of criminal law, Attorney Uche has successfully argued and persuaded the Illinois Appellate Court in People v. Litiwn 2015 IL App (3d) 140429, to throw out his client’s conviction and 12-year sentence for drug trafficking; a case now often cited as legal precedent. Also, in People v. Holt, Attorney Uche got murder charges dismissed against his client by successfully filing a pre-trial motion to dismiss murder charges.
Beyond his success in trial advocacy, Attorney Uche has handled numerous high-profile cases that have been featured in prominent media outlets such as The Guardian and CNN. Additionally, Attorney Uche has been recognized by his peers as well as prominent legal organizations. For example, Attorney Uche is the recipient of a Top 40 Lawyer under 40 Award from The National Trial Lawyers.
Attorney Uche's commitment to the law was demonstrated at an early stage in his career. For example, upon graduating from one of the most prestigious Law schools in the Midwest, the University of Wisconsin Law School, Attorney Uche was the recipient of a string of advocacy awards, some of which included: the 2007 Best Attorney Award at the Stanford Law School Mock Trial Invitational Competition in California, as well as the 2006 Best Petitioner’s Brief Award at the August A. Rendigs National Products liability Moot Court Competition in Ohio.
After law school, Attorney Uche joined one of the largest and most respected prosecutor’s offices in the United States: The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. As a prosecutor, he successfully prosecuted well over a thousand criminal cases and in the process gained a wealth of experience in advocacy, which he employs successfully for his clients today.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Civil Rights, Criminal DefenseFocus areas
Police Misconduct
First Admitted: 2007, Illinois
Professional Webpage: https://uchelitigation.com/nenye-e-uche/
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
- American Association of Justice (AAJ), 2019
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
- Illinois
- The National Trial Lawyers, 2019
- Cook County Bar Association, 2019
- Chicago Bar Association, 2019
- Jury Verdict: $625,000. In December of 2007, and after a two-week jury trial, a Cook County Jury returned a record verdict of $625,000 for emotional distress in a nursing home neglect case heard in front of the Honorable Judge Robert E. Senechalle jr. The case, Cecelia Jones v. Villa at South Holland: 15 L 006304, centered around Attorney Uche’s client, a 77-yearold grandmother who had fallen and bruised her face. The nursing home claimed that Attorney Uche’s client had attempted to get up from a wheelchair in a common area and had fallen as she attempted to walk. The nursing home offered $50,000 to settle the case. Attorney Uche and his client rejected the settlement offer and proceeded to trial. At trial, Attorney Uche demonstrated that Ms. Jones had fallen from a bed when the nursing home staff had attempted to forcefully remove her from bed. Attorney Uche also demonstrated that for at least 11 hours, Ms. Jones cried out in pain and was ignored by the staff. In an attempt to mitigate the damages, the Defense team called a University of Chicago professor of medicine who testified that the injuries were mere bruises and were not serious. The professor also testified that the injuries were treated with painkillers and a band-aid which was appropriate. However, in closing arguments and in rebuttal arguments, Attorney Uche emphasized the fragility of Ms. Jones and the tremendous impact any pain or bruising, no matter how minor, would have on an elderly sick patient. After just under forty minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of $625,000 for emotional distress and pain and suffering, 2017, 2017
- Pye v. Board of Education: Attorney Uche secured an $800,000 settlement involving the sexual assault of a special education student in a Chicago elementary school. , 2024
- Attorney Nenye E. Uche was able to secure a one million dollar wrongful death settlement for the family of a man that was killed while in pre-trial detention by a fellow inmate. , 2023
- Wright et. al. v. City of Chicago On May 31, 2020, a family of five including four women, and an 18 year old male, were surrounded in their vehicle and viciously assaulted and attacked by numerous Chicago Police Officers at the Brickyard Mall. During the attack, police officers cursed at the family, screamed at them, pointed guns at them, damaged their vehicles with repeated baton strikes including smashing at their vehicle windows with batons; and ultimately dragged each family member out of their vehicle. Video recording showed that the excessive force and vicious attack was completely unjustified. Additionally, after the incident, each family member suffered various forms of severe emotional distress, including, being clinically diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder as well as functional neurological symptom disorder: which led to blindness in one eye of one of the plaintiffs. , 2022
- Bowman v. City of Chicago. Plaintiff accused multiple Chicago police officers of beating him during the summer of 2020 and during national protests against police brutality. The City of Chicago denied the allegations. After a few months of litigation, the City of Chicago agreed to a confidential settlement. , 2021
- Carrion v. City of Chicago. Plaintiff accused Chicago police officers of beating him during the summer of 2020. The City of Chicago denied the allegations. After a few months of litigation, the City of Chicago agreed to a confidential settlement. , 2021
- Taylor v. Rodriguez The Plaintiff's accused a Chicago police officer of shooting their family dog without justification. The City of Chicago settled the case for $52,500.00. , 2019
- Alnita Tillman as the Executor of the ESTATE OF WILLIE MAE BRIGGS, deceased v. The Villa at Windsor Park The Plaintiff alleged that the nursing home was negligent in the death of her elderly mother who died while in hospice care. The nursing home settled the case for $150,000. The case closed in February of 2020. , 2020
- Marsalis Anthony v. E. Carillo et. al The case was a civil rights case in which the Plaintiff was choked by a Chicago police officer during an arrest. The City of Chicago settled the case for a confidential sum in March of 2020. , 2020
- People v. Litiwn, 2015
- Jury Verdict: $1.18 Million. The Estate of Cockerham v. Anthony Babicz and the City of Chicago 16L 1682 Verdict: On December 13, 2018 after a two-week jury trial, a Cook County Jury returned a verdict of $1.18 Million in a wrongful death case involving an unjustified police shooting. The trial was heard in front of the Honorable Judge John P. Callahan in Chicago. The Estate of Cockerham v. Anthony Babicz and the City of Chicago centered around a shooting that had occurred on 71st and Merrill St in Chicago. Chicago Police officer Anthony Babicz shot and killed Alfontish Cockerham at around 12am on June 20, 2015 following a foot pursuit. Initially, the Chicago Police Department claimed that the shooting was justified because Mr. Cockerham had faced the officer and pointed a gun at the officer. However, autopsy reports showed that the entry wounds of the gunshots were in Mr. Cockerham’s back. After the autopsy revelation, the Chicago Police then claimed that the shooting was justified because Mr. Cockerham had been turning to face the officer with a gun while running away from the officer with his back still turned to the officer. During trial the defense argued that the officer had a split-second decision to make and should not have given Cockerham an opportunity to shoot. The defense called in forensic experts as well as a police-use-of-force expert and a shooting scene reconstruction expert to make their case. However, during trial, the Attorney Uche emphasized the major inconsistences in the police officer’s explanation of the shooting. Attorney Uche also used video surveillance as well as forensic evidence to demonstrate that Mr. Cockerham was never turning and never turned toward the police officer with a gun. Attorney Uche argued that even if Mr. Cockerham had a gun, he had deescalated his confrontation with the police officer by running away. During closing arguments, Attorney Uche reminded the jury that a police officer is not a judge, jury or executioner. After about 3 hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of $1.18 Million for the wrongful death of Alfontish Cockerham. The jury also declared in a special interrogatory that the shooting was unjustified and that the officer’s conduct was wilful and wanton, 2018, 2018
- This was the press conference I gave on behalf of my clients after a jury awarded them $1.15 million in the shooting death of their relative by a Chicago police officer. , Cockerham Press Conference, Law; Civil Rights; Personal Injury, 2018
- On May 31, 2020, a family of five including four women, and an 18 year old male, were surrounded in their vehicle and viciously assaulted and attacked by numerous Chicago Police Officers at the Brickyard Mall. During the attack, police officers cursed at the family, screamed at them, pointed guns at them, damaged their vehicles with repeated baton strikes including smashing at their vehicle windows with batons; and ultimately dragged each family member out of their vehicle. Video recording showed that the excessive force and vicious attack was completely unjustified. See incident here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tMFsWEasOqg Additionally, after the incident, each family member suffered various forms of severe emotional distress, including, being clinically diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder as well as functional neurological symptom disorder: which led to blindness in one eye of one of the plaintiffs. , Brickyard Mall Police Brutality Incident, Civil Rights Litigation, 2020
- SHOULD I HIRE A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER? — A CHICAGO PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER EXPLAINS WHY YOU SHOULD., SHOULD I HIRE A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER?, 2020
- In this video, Attorney Uche explains why everyone should hire a personal injury attorney if they have suffered a personal injury. , Why you need a personal injury attorney, Law; Civil Rights; Personal Injury, 2020
- This was a press conference in which I spoke on behalf of a family that was brutality attacked by some members of the Chicago police Department. , Brickyard Mall Civil Rights Incident, Law; Civil Rights; Personal Injury, 2020
- Federal General Bar for the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois, 2012
- U.S. Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit, 2023
- Federal Trial Bar for the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois, Member, 2017
- Attorney Nenye E. Uche was selected as one of Forbes top 10 personal injury lawyers in Illinois. , Forbes Top 10 Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Chicago, Forbes Advisor, 2023
- Best Attorney Award, Stanford Law School Mock Trial Competition, University of Wisconsin Law School
- Member, University of Wisconsin Mock Trial Team
- Competition Chair, University of Wisconsin Moot Court Board
- Mathy’s Memorial Award for Appellate Advocacy, University of Wisconsin Law School
- Best Petitioner’s Brief, August A. Rendigs National Products Liability Moot Court Competition, University of Wisconsin Law School
- Top 40 Lawyer Under 40, The National Trial Lawyers, 2019
- Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star List, 2019-2020
- This recognition was awarded this year in recognition of the 50 perfect client reviews registered on the AVVO website, Clients' Choice Award, AVVO, 2019
- The Midway Broadcasting Corporation/WVON and Ariel Investments sponsors this award ceremony which aims to identify those men and women who are raising the bar and making a difference in the lives of everyday people, 40 under 40 Game Changers Award, Midway Broadcasting Corporation/WVON and Ariel Investments, 2018
- Tips on Cross Examination, Cook County Bar Association (CCBA) Newsletter (Winter 2010)
- Civil Rights
- Criminal Defense
- Litigation
- Personal Injury
- Trial Advocacy
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2025
- Rising Stars: 2019 - 2021
