Partner
Location: Libertyville, Illinois
Phone: 847-680-4970
Fax: 847-680-5459
Email: Email Me
Mr. Strauss joined the Law Office of Gary L. Schlesinger in March, 2006, and he became a partner on September 1, 2010, when Schlesinger & Strauss, LLC, was formed. Michael has practiced only family law since being admitted to the Illinois Bar. He has handled family law cases in seven counties in the state of Illinois. Michael also serves as a mediator and as a Child Representative or Guardian Ad Litem. Michael has served as an elected board member of A Safe Place – an organization dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence in Northern Illinois – and was recently elected vice president of the organization.
Michael has presented multiple times at the Lake County Family Law annual conference as well as to speak each year at the annual Illinois College of Law Student/Alumni conference on issues of family law and small law firm practice. Michael is one of the co-editors of the Lake County legal publication, The Docket. Michael has also been elected to the Illinois State Bar Association Assembly and was appointed by the Illinois State Bar Association to the Family Law Section Counsel and the Child Law Section Counsel. Michael is one of the authors of the Illinois maintenance statute and has testified two times in 2018 before the House of Representative Committee in Springfield. Attorney Michael Strauss is a member of the AACFL Advisory Board for Illinois. The American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators mission is to improve the efficiency of the court system, and to help the general public identify attorneys dedicated to integrating financial skills into the practice of law for their benefit.
Attorney Strauss was named a Rising Star in the area of Family Law by Super Lawyers Magazine in 2014 – 2017, a designation reserved for the top 2.5% of all Illinois attorneys under 40 and recently, Michael was awarded the distinction of Super Lawyers in 2018 – 2022, an honor reserved for only 5% of attorneys in Illinois. Chicago Daily Law Bulletin/Chicago Lawyer Magazine recognized Michael as one of the most talented up and coming young lawyers in Illinois, with his selection to the 40 Under Forty 2014 list. Michael is one of only two attorneys selected in Lake County, IL by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin 40 Under Forty.
Areas of Practice
- Family Law
- Adoption
- Divorce
- Separation
- Premarital Agreements
- Paternity
- Custody & Support
- Juvenile Cases
Litigation Percentage
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 2004
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 2005
Education
- University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign, Illinois, J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence – 2004
- University of Illinois, Champaign, ILB.S., Bachelor of Science in Human Resources and Family Studies
Honors and Awards
- Selected to to the 40 Under Forty 2014 list by the Chicago Law Bulletin Publishing Company
- Selected to the List of Super Lawyers 2018 – 2022
- Selected to Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017
- Recipient, F. Dennis Franz f/k/a Russell Bundeson Award presented by the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and given to the top law student dedicated to the field of Family Law, 2004
- Dean’s List, 2003
Professional Associations and Memberships
- A Safe Place, Domestic Violence Services Board Member, 2014 – Present
- Lake County Bar Association, Member, 2006 – Present
- Illinois State Bar Association, Member, 2004 – Present
- Illinois State Bar Association, Secretary, Family Law Section Council, 2017 – 2018
- Illinois State Bar Association, Chair, Family Law Section Council, 2019
- Kane County Bar Association, Member, 2004 – Present
- University of Illinois College of Law Alumni Association, Member, 2004 – Present
Past Employment Positions
- Shaw, Jacobs & Associates, P.C, Associate, 2004 – 2006
Fraternities/Sororities
- Phi Alpha Delta
- Zeta Beta Tau
