Attorney Frank Sommario

This month we introduce the readers to Frank Sommario, the soon-to-be elected secretary of the Justinian Society of Lawyers, a 90-year-old ethnic bar association that stands as the third largest lawyers’ organization in the state of Illinois.

As secretary, Frank will work his way through the chairs and become the society’s 97th president in 2017. This year’s president, Katherine (Amari) O’Dell, says of Frank, “He became secretary because over the years, as a member, he has shown talent, organizational skills and, most importantly, reliability. The Justinian officers that have preceded Frank have come to realize that when you want something done, you gave it to Frank. As a voluntary bar association, this is vital to accomplish its various agendas. He never lets us down.”

Frank is a senior associate at Romanucci & Blandin, a Chicago law firm that concentrates in catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, and workers’ compensation cases. As a petitioner’s workers’ compensation lawyer, he has obtained several large settlements and favorable trial awards for his clients.

Frank was admitted to the Bar in Illinois (2000), Minnesota (2001), and District of Columbia (2001). He received his Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law in 2000. He is a Certified Public Accountant (1998) who received his bachelor’s degree in commerce/accounting from DePaul University in 1997. He became a registered investment advisor in 2003.

In addition to practicing law, Frank is active in several professional organizations. In 2008, he was elected to his first three-year term to the prestigious position, one of only 28, of the board of governors of the 34,000-member Illinois State Bar Association, and in 2011, he was re-elected for his second three-year term. He acts as board liaison to the Workers’ Compensation Law Committee, Federal Taxation Committee, and Intellectual Property Section Council. Frank is also a Silver Fellow of the Illinois Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the ISBA. In these leadership roles, Frank is on the cutting edge of the organized bar. This year’s president of the ISBA, John Locallo, says of Frank: “This young man represents the best of the younger Italian Americans in our community, not only in the legal field, but in all the professions. He is in a position to influence the legal profession, the governing of lawyers, legislation in the catastrophic injury field, and the like. Having served with him on the ISBA board of governors, I can say that he is certainly up to these challenges.”

Frank began his membership with the Justinian Society in 1997 as a first-year law student. Frank’s academic achievements in law school earned him several Justinian scholarships. He has served on the executive committee since 2009 and has been very active in the society by co-chairing various committees such as the Golf Outing Committee and the Ad Book Committee for the prestigious annual installation dinner and awards, both of which helped to raise funds for the Scholarship and Children’s Endowment Funds.

Of his young protege, Antonio Romanucci, a true leader of not only the legal community but, as president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, of our ethnic community at large, says: “The beautiful thing about Frank is that I have had the honor of knowing him since he was in law school and have literally been able to watch him mature, not only as a lawyer but as a community leader and representative. When the opportunity arose to be able to work with Frank it was an easy decision. He is extremely detail oriented and dedicated to assisting our clients and meeting their needs. Even more importantly, in my mind, is that he is balanced when it comes to a keen understanding that being a lawyer is not only going to court every day. He has fully embraced the concept that with the responsibilities of a being a lawyer come the duties of leadership and community service. Frank is a perfect example of that person and soon he will be the president of a very prestigious ethnic bar association and is committed to community service.”

For his successes representing injury victims, Frank was named as one of Illinois’ Rising Stars by Super Lawyers for the year 2010, and then once again in 2011.

Born in Melrose Park, Frank was raised by Frank and Mary Jo (nee Abruzzini) Sommario. He has two younger sisters, Deanna and Lisa. Frank currently resides in Addison with his wife, Gina, and twin daughters, Angelina and Isabella.

Another example of the best our community has to offer.