Esther J. Seitz

Esther Seitz is a savvy commercial and appellate litigator who has handled numerous high-profile cases. For over 15 years, she has litigated and tried cases involving:

• significant constitutional questions, particularly in the pension and access-to-government space
• multi-million dollar contract disputes
• construction and state procurement claims
• defamation, privacy, and intellectual property rights
• eminent domain

As part of her active appellate practice, Esther has argued over a dozen appeals, including before the Illinois Supreme Court and as lead counsel, on various precedent-setting media law and constitutional issues.

Before joining Hinshaw, Esther practiced First Amendment and media law for eight years and was an appellate judicial clerk.

Esther speaks German fluently and is conversant in French.

• Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC)
  • Review Board, 2019 – present; Vice Chair, 2023 – present
  • Hearing Board, 2018 – 2019
• Lincoln-Douglas American Inn of Court, Board Member
• Illinois Bar Journal Editorial Board, 2019 – June 2024

• Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest, third place winner, Illinois State Bar Association, 2017
• Named to "Forty Under 40" list, Springfield Business Journal, 2015

Media Appearances

• "New Bill Tougher on Social Media Privacy at Work," Springfield, Illinois, News Channel 20 (ABC), March 2016
• "Former Swansea Mayor Sues Village in TIF Dispute Over Fire Truck," Belleville News-Democrat (video interview), January 2016
• "St. Louis on the Air," Legal Roundtable Discussion, St. Louis Public Radio, November 2015
• "Application of FOIA on New Technology and Government Officials," Illinois Channel TV, September 2015
• Guest Co-Host "Let's Talk Law," 970 WMAY Radio News, October 2014
• "The Illinois Supreme Court's Decision on State's Attorneys and FOIA," Bishop on Air; Live from the Lincoln Presidential Library, 970 WMAY Radio News, May 2014

Event Presentations

• Co-Presenter, "FOIA: What Construction Lawyers Need to Know," Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys, Virtual Event, May 16, 2023
• "Legal Grab Bag," Illinois Road & Transportation Builders Association (IRTBA) 37th Annual Convention, Nassau, Bahamas, February 21, 2022
• Co-Presenter, "How SE's Can Design a Better Foundation for their Services Agreements," The Structural Engineers Association of Illinois, Virtual Event, February 2, 2021

• "What Construction & Transportation Leaders Need to Know About Agreements that Curb Employee Mobility," Road Builders Magazine 2024, at 39-41
• Co-Author, Chapter 5 "Illinois Sunshine Laws," Enforcement Under the Freedom of Information Act, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE), 2016 – present
• Co-Author, Chapter 7 "Illinois Civil Practice," Pleadings, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE), 2023 supplement
• "Has Cannabis Really Been Decriminalized in Illinois?" Illinois Bar Journal, March 2017