About Rosaire
Rosaire Nottage entered law at a time of change. She completed undergraduate studies at Michigan State University in 1970 and earned her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1976. Those credentials set the stage for a long career in the Illinois bar and in federal courts.
Nottage began practicing soon after law school. She joined Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP as an associate in 1977. Over the next several years she moved into firm leadership and was made a partner there in 1983. That period allowed her to develop courtroom experience and a working knowledge of federal practice.
By 1988 Nottage had taken on a new role as managing partner at Nottage and Ward, LLP. The title suggests responsibility for both case work and firm management. Colleagues from that era recall a steady hand in handling administrative duties while the firm pursued litigated matters in Illinois courts.
Memberships have been a steady part of Nottage’s professional life. She has belonged to the Illinois State Bar Association and the Federal Trial Bar since 1976. She holds membership in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and is listed as a current member of the American Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association. Her involvement with the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois reflects an interest in the local legal community. Since 2009 she has been part of the International Network of Boutique Law Offices, a group that connects smaller practices across jurisdictions.
The pattern of affiliations points to significant federal trial experience. Nottage’s long-standing Federal Trial Bar membership and her admission to the Northern District of Illinois indicate regular practice before federal judges. Her years at a larger Chicago firm and later leadership at a smaller, specialized firm gave her a mix of institutional and boutique practice perspectives.
Nottage’s career spans more than four decades. She practiced at a major Chicago firm, then moved into firm leadership at Nottage and Ward. That arc includes courtroom work, client counseling, and managerial duties. Her record of continuous bar and court memberships since 1976 underscores a persistent presence in Illinois legal circles.
She currently serves as managing partner at Nottage and Ward, LLP, where her practice centers on litigation in both state and federal courts.
