Carmen P. Forte

About Carmen P. Forte

Carmen Forte, Jr. counsels Illinois municipalities, school districts, libraries, special districts and corporate and non-profit clients. He regularly litigates in state and federal court and various administrative venues for clients in a range of matters. He works with our clients to negotiate and manage development agreements, helping to bring significant residential and commercial development to their communities. He has prosecuted for the firm’s numerous municipal clients in the areas of DUI and traffic offenses, local ordinance violations and business, tobacco and liquor licensing matters. He also defends the firm’s clients in workers’ compensation claims, disability pension matters and matters under the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act (PSEBA). Currently, Carmen serves as Village Attorney for the Village of Campton Hills, as Assistant Village Attorney for the Villages of Schaumburg and Vernon Hills, and as Special Counsel for the Village of River Grove. Prior to joining Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins, Carmen served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. During his time as a criminal prosecutor, he handled felony and misdemeanor matters and tried numerous bench and jury trials. Early in his tenure at the State’s Attorney’s Office, he served as a law clerk in the prosecution of musician Robert “R” Kelly.Carmen received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from the John Marshall Law School. During that time, he interned in the United States Senate, served as a legislative aide in the Illinois House of Representatives, worked as a law clerk with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and was a member of the Notre Dame Glee Club. Carmen is admitted to practice in the state of Illinois, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.Carmen knew he wanted to be a local government attorney even as a young child, while attending many Village board meetings where his father served as a long tenured trustee in his hometown of Elmwood Park. Since those early years, he has had a great respect for the public service provided by local government officials and employees, and he has devoted his legal career to supporting these public servants. Carmen and his wife Ashley, who is also an attorney, live in Campton Hills with their two sons and their dogs, Dug and Slinky.

Experience

1. Partner

   Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins, Ltd

   Jun 2020 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   As a partner/shareholder at KTJ, I provide legal counsel to municipalities, school districts, libraries, special districts, corporations, non-profits and individuals. I litigate regularly in state and federal court, and in various administrative venues across the State of Illinois. I have served as local prosecutor for various communities, including the prosecution of DUI and other misdemeanor traffic-related offenses. I defend our clients in workers\' compensation, disability pension and PSEBA benefits claims. I am also a certified administrative hearing officer.My recent presentations include:Medical Cannabis Enforcement Issues - Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association (ILGL), 2013, 2014Crime Free Housing Ordinance Seminars - 20••••20FOIA, OMA and Law Enforcement Requests - Area Training for Librarians and Staff (ATLAS), 2016Building Code/Code Enforcement Hearings and Final Orders - ILGL Administrative Hearing Officer Training, 2016Construction and Remodeling Projects: Drafting Bid Documents to Awarding the Contract - Illinois Library Association (ILA), 2016Legal Issues Related to Library Patrons - PrairieCat Users Group Day, 2017Proper Procedures and Compliance with the OMA - ILA, 20••••23/IL Heartland Library System, 2021/Municipal Clerks’ Association of N/NW Cook County, 2022Avoiding Social Media Missteps - ATLAS, 2018Election Workshop - Municipal Clerks’ Assn of N/NW Cook County, 2018Proper Investigation of Sexual Harassment Allegations in Libraries – ILA, 2018Municipal Use & Regulation of Drones – Illinois Municipal League,(IML) 2018Cannabis Potpourri: Taxing, Zoning, Licensing, Employment, & Expungement – ILGL, 2019Post COVID and the Library Employer-Employee Relationship & FOIA as related to Patron Privacy and the Library Records Confidentiality Act – ILA, 2022Municipal Considerations for Cannabis: Zoning & Regulatory Controls – CBA Local Government Committee, 2023So My Library Formed a Union, Now What- ILA, 2023

Education

• University of Illinois Chicago School of Law

  J.D.

  2006 — 2009

• University of Notre Dame

  B.A., Political Science and Government

  2001 — 2005

Skills

• Lexis
• Jury Trials
• Personal Injury Litigation
• Civil Rights Defense
• Courts
• Legislative Relations
• Local Government
• Westlaw
• Legal Documents
• Legal Issues
• Trial Practice
• Legal Document Preparation
• Lexisnexis
• Depositions
• Arbitration
• Legal Writing
• Litigation
• Civil Litigation
• Administrative Law
• Appeals
• Hearings
• Trials
• Criminal Law
• Construction Law
• Mediation
• Government
• Pleadings
• Criminal Defense
• Motions
• Criminal Justice
• Torts
• Criminal Prosecution
• Legal Research
• Legislation
• Municipal Law
• Prosecution