Samantha Rothman is an associate in the Insurance Practice Group. She focuses her practice in the areas of insurance coverage analysis and litigation. She has prepared coverage opinions and position letters for insurers and handles a wide variety of issues involving general liability and first-party property policies. Samantha also has significant litigation experience and participates in all facets of discovery and trial preparation.
Samantha received her J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law and currently works out of Tressler's Chicago office.
Where are you from?
Northbrook, Illinois.
What was your first job?
I was a babysitter/entrepreneur. I used to babysit for what seemed like almost every family in my neighborhood. I couldn’t keep up with the demand, so I started recruiting other sitters, like my younger sister and our friends to cover jobs. It became a fairly large network of babysitters. We jokingly called it the Babysitters Club.
More formally, I was a lifeguard through high school and some of college.
Do you have any hidden talents and/or unique hobbies?
I was a competitive figure skater for 15 years. Since hanging up my skates and retiring, I am an avid runner and yogi.
What is on your bucket list?
I would love to take a yoga teacher training class in Bali.
Why did you decide to become an attorney?
I’ve always enjoyed problem solving, reading and writing. It also seemed like a good way to put my affinity for arguing to good use.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I’m an early bird, so my mornings usually consist of coffee, a workout and diving right into work. I spend most of my day researching and writing pleadings, coverage opinions, memos or talking to other attorneys and clients.
Why did you choose your areas of practice?
I chose litigation and coverage work because I get to deal with a wide variety of issues. I am constantly learning about new topics and researching laws across jurisdictions. There is also a competitive nature to the work. As a former athlete, I enjoy anything results-based.
What do you like most about Tressler?
I was lucky enough to start working for Tressler when I was in law school. I had the opportunity to learn from amazing attorneys who wanted me to succeed. I also gained valuable mentors and role models. I love that Tressler has a highly-collaborative environment that promotes individual growth in its attorneys and staff.
What are you most proud of, professionally and/or personally?
To date, I am most proud of studying for, taking and passing the bar exam during a global pandemic.
Do you have any memorable experiences in a courtroom?
When I was a teenager, I was in a bad car accident and had to go to court. My car had been totaled in the accident and I was scared to drive for a while after. Despite the fact I thought I was very cool and independent, my dad drove me to court and waited with me. I arrived dressed in what teenage Sam believed to be business professional (which I’m fairly certain included a t-shirt of sorts under my suit jacket). The judge called me to approach the bench. After our brief discussion and as he was preparing to send me on my way, he saw I was chewing gum. Blue Spearmint gum. Without having enough time to discard the gum or melt into a puddle of embarrassment, I was scolded to NEVER chew gum in a courtroom. I was terrified, mortified, but also quite impressionable. From that point on, this became my gospel. Even today, I consider this to be my most memorable moment in a courtroom.
Samantha can be reached at srothman@tresslerllp.com. Learn more about our attorneys by visiting www.tresslerllp.com/attorneys.
