Matthew Jenkins is a trial lawyer at the Chicago law firm of Corboy & Demetrio where he has practiced personal injury law since 2008. Matt also heads Corboy & Demetrio’s Pro Bono Department. Matt served as a PILI Intern at LAF in 2005.
Matt handles and tries complex, significant and high-profile cases, and he is proud of the work he does on behalf of those clients. He is equally as proud of his cases that don’t make headlines, involving those often without a voice and without access to quality legal representation.
Among the numerous pro bono cases he’s handled, Matt provided legal services for a disabled woman living in a subsidized housing unit that posed an imminent threat to his client’s health and well-being. He also helped a young woman who suffered from serious physical and cognitive disabilities secure modifications to her residence to ensure accessibility. In another case, Matt represented the parents of a profoundly disabled girl and secured the protections and services the girl was entitled to from CPS.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Matt received his Juris Doctorate degree in 2007 from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he was recognized for both his academic achievements and his commitment to public service. In 2013, Matt was named to “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch” by Law Bulletin Publishing Company.
In addition to his pro bono work, Matt is active in other forms of public service. He currently serves as Member Service Manager in the Chicago Bar Association’s Young Lawyer Division and sits on its Executive Committee. He also sits on the CBA’s Auxiliary Board of Lawyer’s Lend-a-Hand to Youth. He serves as Co-Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and sits on the Illinois State Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Committee. Matt is Past President and a current Member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Disability & Elder Law. In 2012, at the age of 30, Matt was the youngest Board President in CDEL’s history. Matt is a Co-Chair of the Young Alumni Committee of the Alumni Board at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.