Carmen Peter Forte Jr.

Carmen P. Forte Jr. attended The University of Notre Dame, where he received his B.A. in Political Science, and The John Marshall Law School, where he received his J.D. During that time, he interned in the United States Senate, served as a legislative aide in the Illinois House of Representatives, and worked as a law clerk with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Prior to joining Klein, Thorpe and Jenkins, Ltd., Mr. Forte served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. During his time as a criminal prosecutor, Mr. Forte litigated regularly in Cook County Circuit Court and before the Cook County Grand Jury in felony and misdemeanor matters, and he tried numerous bench and jury trials. He then worked as an associate at a prominent Chicago insurance defense firm, where he focused his practice on Workers’ Compensation matters.

Mr. Forte previously served as a trustee of the Village of Elmwood Park Library Board from 2009 to 2013. During his tenure on the Board, he held the positions of President and Vice President, and also chaired several committees. Currently, Mr. Forte is the Secretary of the Plan and Zoning Commission of the Village of Elmwood Park. He is also a current member of the Columbian Club of Chicago, the Justinian Society of Lawyers, the Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association Municipal Prosecutors’ Group, and is an alumnus of the University of Notre Dame Glee Club.

Mr. Forte counsels Illinois municipalities, school districts, special districts and corporate and non-profit clients. He regularly litigates in State and Federal court in defense of and to prosecute for our clients in a range of litigated matters. He serves as local prosecutor and has performed local prosecution and code enforcement work for numerous municipalities in the areas of local ordinance violations, traffic citations, and business, tobacco and liquor licensing violations. He is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Mr. Forte has given the following relevant presentations:

Medical Marijuana and other Marijuana Enforcement Issues, Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association, Municipal Prosecutors Group Seminar, November 2013.

The Stash that Disappeared:  Preparing for Medical Marijuana and Concealed Carry, Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association, Annual Conference Seminar, February 2014

Cannabis and Concealed Carry – One Year Later, Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association, Municipal Prosecutors Group Seminar, November 2014.

FOIA, OMA, & the Law Enforcement Requests, Area Training for Librarians and Staff, Annual Trustee Workshop, May 2016.

Legal Aspects of Crime Free Housing, Village of Orland Park Crime Free Rental Housing Training, Regular Speaker since 2013.