About Marcia Gerber
Marcia Gerber Cotler built her legal foundation in two Midwestern classrooms before moving to the capital for law school. She earned a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1986, then took her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1989. Those years shaped both her interest in courtroom work and a parallel interest in dispute resolution.
After law school Cotler pursued admission to multiple federal and state courts. She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the United States Supreme Court. Those admissions have allowed her to handle matters at trial and on appeal, and to appear in federal and state forums on behalf of clients.
Cotler founded Cotler Law, LLC and serves as its principal. The firm grew out of a desire to manage complex client needs in both litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Over time she has balanced courtroom filings with mediated settlements, taking cases through discovery, motion practice, and trial when necessary. Her role at the firm includes case strategy, client counseling, and supervising litigation teams.
She pursued additional training in mediation and holds certifications from the Center for Conflict Resolution and from DePaul University College of Law. Those credentials reflect a practice that blends adversarial advocacy and negotiated outcomes. Colleagues and clients note she often shifts between aggressive litigation tactics and careful negotiation, depending on what a case requires.
Cotler maintains an active membership in the Illinois State Bar Association. That membership keeps her connected to state-level practice developments and continuing legal education. It also offers a forum for staying current on procedural changes that affect both trial and appellate practice.
Her work spans a range of matters that move through state and federal courts, and into mediated settlement rooms. She has handled appeals before the Seventh Circuit and briefs filed in federal district court. At the same time, her mediation certifications mean she frequently participates in and conducts settlement conferences.
She continues to lead Cotler Law, LLC, where she directs litigation, appellate work, and mediated dispute resolution for clients in Illinois and federal courts. She currently focuses her practice on civil litigation and mediation in state and federal venues.
