Stephanie A. Black

A trial attorney at Gray Ritter Graham in Saint Louis, Missouri, Stephanie A. Black represents individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries. Her practice areas include FELA (Federal Employers' Liability Act) claims, rail-related injury cases and other catastrophic injury litigation. Clients value her strategic insight and her dedication to securing favorable outcomes in difficult cases.

Her path to the courtroom began at home. Raised in a family with ties to the railroad industry, Ms. Black watched her father work as a union officer and factory maintenance worker in Highland, Illinois. His example instilled in her an early belief in fairness and in standing up for working people. That conviction shaped her academic career: she graduated summa cum laude from Southeast Missouri State University in 2008 and was a finalist for Woman of the Year. At Southern Illinois University School of Law, she served as president of the trial team and received the Best Advocate Award at a competition in Chicago.

Ms. Black began her career as an assistant state's attorney in Madison County, Illinois, where she prosecuted a broad range of criminal cases and was named "Rookie of the Year" in 2012. She then gained experience at respected defense and plaintiffs' firms before focusing exclusively on representing injured plaintiffs in railroad and catastrophic injury matters.

Before joining Gray Ritter Graham, Ms. Black contributed to several significant results. In June 2023, she was part of the trial team that won an $18.75 million verdict in Carroll County, Illinois, for a railroad switchman who lost a leg because of unsafe work practices. In October 2022, she served as second chair in a Cook County trial that produced an $864,500 verdict for a locomotive engineer injured at a hazardous crew change point. She also served on the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in the litigation arising from the June 2022 Amtrak collision at a grade crossing in Mendon, Missouri, which caused 150 injuries and four deaths.

Known for her thoroughness and sound judgment, Ms. Black approaches every case with determination and compassion, working to level the playing field for those who need an advocate most.