Abby Bakos

Abby Bakos is a distinguished trial attorney and civil-rights litigator who brings more than a decade of federal court experience, scholarly excellence, and client-centered advocacy to National Injury Attorneys. Licensed in both Arizona and Illinois, she represents individuals whose constitutional rights have been violated and ensures their stories are heard with clarity, courage, and uncompromising precision.

Abby earned her Juris Doctor from the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she excelled academically, received multiple CALI Awards, and served on Law Review. Since graduating in 2013, she has built a practice grounded in high-stakes litigation, taking on complex matters across the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois with additional admission to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Her federal experience includes significant civil-rights cases involving policing, due-process violations, unlawful detention, discrimination, and systemic misconduct.

Abby’s work focuses on representing victims of:

• Police misconduct & excessive force
• Wrongful arrest and false imprisonment
• Violations of due process
• Jail/prison misconduct & constitutional violations
• Discrimination and civil-rights abuses
• Governmental negligence and institutional failures

Abby’s hallmark is her strategic, relentless approach to discovery, motion practice, and trial preparation. She is known for her exceptional written advocacy, meticulous case-building, and unwavering commitment to the people she represents, many of whom are navigating trauma, injustice, and the overwhelming power of the institutions they are fighting against.

In addition to her civil-rights practice, Abby has experience in transactional and estate-planning matters, allowing her to bring a broader, more comprehensive legal perspective to clients whose issues intersect multiple legal domains.

At National Injury Attorneys, Abby is the primary Of Counsel Attorney for all civil-rights claims arising in Arizona and Illinois, working closely with the firm’s lead litigation attorney Caitlin Engstrand, as well as the the firm’s intake, investigation, and litigation support teams to secure meaningful outcomes and systemic accountability.

Abby is driven by a simple truth:
Every person deserves the full protection of their constitutional rights, and a fearless advocate when those rights are violated.