About Denise
Denise Sakuta earned her law degree from The John Marshall Law School in 2013 after completing an undergraduate degree in supply chain management at Michigan State University in 2009. Her academic background pairs legal training with a business-oriented undergraduate major. That combination informs the practical approach she brings to everyday legal work.
She began practicing law after finishing law school and now serves as an associate at Stein & Shulman, LLC. In that role she has taken on tasks commonly assigned to associates: researching legal issues, preparing pleadings and motions, assisting in discovery, and supporting trial preparation. Colleagues describe her as methodical in managing case files and attentive to procedural detail.
Sakuta is active in several professional organizations. She holds memberships in the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association, and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. Those affiliations give her access to continuing education opportunities, professional networks, and local legal resources that inform her work at the firm.
Her training at The John Marshall provided exposure to litigation practice and courtroom procedure. At Michigan State she studied systems and logistics, an education that lends itself to organizing complex information and managing deadlines. The combination of those experiences has shaped how she approaches client matters and firm responsibilities.
Peers and supervisors at Stein & Shulman place emphasis on collaborative work. Sakuta contributes to team-based assignments and coordinates with more senior attorneys on case strategy. She also communicates regularly with clients to relay developments and translate technical legal concepts into clearer terms. That client contact is a steady part of her day-to-day responsibilities.
Outside the office she engages in continuing legal education offered through the bar associations to stay current on rule changes and emerging issues in Illinois practice. She maintains an active membership profile in local and statewide professional groups and participates in events that bring together trial lawyers and in-house counsel.
She practices law in Illinois as an associate at Stein & Shulman, LLC.
