Biography
Attorney Robert C. Cotter
Born and raised in the West Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago, Robert Cotter graduated from Loyola Academy with honors in 1982, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) with honors in 1988, and received his law degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 2005.
Prior to obtaining his law license in 2005, Robert spent 16 years working as a paralegal, legal investigator, teacher, and community organizer in Chicago.
From 1989 until 2000, Mr. Cotter worked with Centro Sin Fronteras (CSF), a community center based in the Mexican community of Chicago. At CSF, Robert taught English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, and played an integral role in numerous community organizing efforts. During this time, Robert was elected twice by his neighbors to the Local School Council at Rudy Lozano School.
In 1995, Mr. Cotter co-founded the Sin Fronteras Law Program (SFLP) a non-profit legal services organization, on the near northwest side. SFLP helped many thousands of low income Chicago and suburban residents obtain legal advice, assistance, and representation in the areas of immigration and criminal law. Robert served as Director of SFLP for 5 years.
Over the past 30 years, Mr. Cotter has volunteered on 15 different election campaigns for independent progressive Democrats, working at all levels from canvasser to coordinator of multi-ward areas.
Internationally, Mr. Cotter was an official observer and newspaper reporter covering national elections in Nicaragua (1990), and Mexico (1994).
Mr. Cotter has traveled extensively throughout Latin America and Europe. He has visited Mexico four times, including as a member of a United States Congressional fact finding delegation in 1998. The delegation included two Congressmen and Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, as well as Illinois church and business leaders.
From 2000 to 2005, Mr. Cotter attended law school and worked as a paralegal and legal investigator for several of the most well regarded and experienced criminal defense and immigration attorneys in Chicago.
Robert Cotter has successfully defended hundreds of individuals against criminal and traffic charges as well as against deportation. He has assisted many others obtain legal residency status in the United States.
Mr. Cotter is admitted to practice in all Immigration Courts in the United States (EOIR), all State of Illinois Courts, and the Federal Court of the Northern District of Illinois. Robert is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association.
Robert is fluent in Spanish.
Call 773-405-6153 for a free confidential telephone consultation with Attorney Robert Cotter.