Perry S. Smith concentrates his practice in estate planning and litigation and brings over 3 decades of experience in social security disability, personal injury, probate, guardianships, family law, construction litigation, eminent domain for property owners, and contract litigation. Perry is currently the Treasurer of the Lake County Bar Foundation (the charitable wing of the Bar Association). He has also served as a past President and Treasurer of the Lake County Bar Association and a past Delegate to the Illinois Bar Association Assembly.

Perry is not just active in his professional life: an avid golfer and bowler he is also a certified distance running coach through the Road Runners Club of America and is both a member and the coach of the Grayslake Running Club. Perry is also a member of the Lake County Whiskey Society and the Adventures Club Bourbon Society.

Education

• Institute of Technology – Chicago/Kent College of Law
  J.D. | 1985

• Loyola University of Chicago
  B.S. | 1977

Awards

• Illinois Super Lawyer Honoree | 2023

• Volunteers Lawyer’s Program Award Recipient for Pro Bono Service
  Lake County Bar Association | 2006

Professional Associations + Memberships

• Illinois State Bar Association | Member

• Illinois Bar Foundation | Member

• Lake County Bar Association | Past President

• Lake County Bar Foundation | Trustee & Treasurer

• National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives | Member

• National Bar President’s Association | Member

Published Works

• Lake County Bar Association Docket Magazine, Vol. I, No. 6 Social Security Disability | 1998

• Lake County Bar Association Docket Magazine, Vocational Experts | 2004

• Lake County Bar Association Docket Magazine, Social Security Disability Practice; Procedural Changes and Electronic Practice | 2013

Speaking Engagements

• Northern Illinois Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
  Lecture on Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
  Lecturer | 1986

• Hawthorne Center Merchants Association
  Lecture on Retail Theft
  Lecturer | 1987

• Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers National Conference
  Lecture on Negligence, Medical Negligence and Liability
  Lecturer | 1990, 1994

• Piedmont Virginia Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
  Lecture on Negligence, Medical Negligence and Liability
  Lecturer | 1995

• Circuit Court of 19th Judicial Circuit, Lake County, Illinois
  New Arbitrator Training Program
  Lecturer | 1997

• Radiological Society of North America Annual Conference
  Lecture on Liability Issues in the New Era of Managed Healthcare
  Lecturer | 1998

• Lake County Bar Association, Family Law Committee Seminar
  Social Security Law and its Applications for the Family Law Practitioner
  Lecturer | 1998

• Radiological Society of North America Annual Conference
  Refresher Course – Lecture on Liability Issues for Healthcare Practitioners
  Lecturer | 1998

• Stateline Ultrasound Society, Schaumburg, Illinois
  Lecture on Negligence, Medical Negligence and Avoidance of Liability
  Lecturer | 1998

• Lake County Bar Association Civil Trial & Appeal Committee Seminar
  Social Security Disability and its Application for the Personal Injury or Worker’s Compensation Practitioner
  Lecturer | 1999

• Downey Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center (now Captain James Lovell Federal Health Care Center) Family Association
  Lecture on Powers of Attorney, Guardianship, DNR’s and Advanced Directives
  Lecturer | 2003

• Lake County Bar Association, Civil Trial & Appeal Committee Seminar
  Lecture on Vocational Experts
  Lecturer | 2004

• Lake County Bar Association, “Brown Bag” Seminar
  Lecture as a Primer on Practice before the Social Security Administration
  Lecturer | 2004

• Wysocki & Smith, Seminar in conjunction with Ressler Financial Services, and, Evoy, Kamshulte & Jacobs
  Lecture on Guardianships and Powers of Attorney
  Lecturer | 2004

• Community High School District 128, Community Education Program
  Wills, Trusts, Guardianship and Power of Attorney
  Lecturer | 2007-2010

• Lake County Bar Association, Wills, Trusts & Estates Committee Seminar
  What Estate & Trust Lawyers Need to Know About Title II and Title XVI of the Social Security Act
  Lecturer | 2010

• Community High School District 128, Community Education Program
  Wills, Trusts, Guardianship and Power of Attorney
  Lecturer | 2011-2012

• Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, Probate Guardian Ad Litem Training Seminar
  Panel Member | 2017

• Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, Probate Guardian Ad Litem Training Seminar
  The Role of the Guardian Ad Litem in Decedent’s Estates
  Lecturer | 2019

• Lake County Bar Association, Family Law Committee
  RSDI< SSI and Special Needs Trusts
  Lecturer | 2021

• Lake County Bar Association/19th Judicial Circuit
  Probate Guardian Ad Litem Training Seminar, Duties of the GAL in Disabled Person’s Estates
  Lecturer | 2021

• Lake County Bar Association, Trusts & Estates Committee
  Changes in the Illinois Transfer on Death Instrument Act
  Lecturer | 2021