Robert A.H. Middleton

Client Work

• While defending a client in an enforcement action, Robert successfully argued to limit the intervention of a community group that threatened to disrupt and derail settlement progress.
• When the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit took on a case with potentially devastating repercussions for a client, Robert was part of the Schiff Hardin team that crafted an amicus brief for the court. The brief focused the court’s attention on the injustice underlying the appellees’ positions and the dire consequences of acquiescing to the appellees’ requests.
• Robert represents clients in environmental citizen suits – actions brought by private citizens and organizations alleging violations of law – including ongoing litigation against a multinational organization to ensure investigation and, potentially, remediation of a future public park in Brooklyn, New York.
• Robert is always ready to negotiate on behalf of his clients. Robert has extensive experience assisting clients in negotiating agreements to access private property to execute remedial efforts. These negotiations have included everything from simple access agreements to land purchases.
• As part of a settlement negotiation, Robert assisted a county park in securing funding for a solar array to mitigate the park’s frequent power outages.
• In his first year of practice, Robert secured a favorable jury verdict for his pro bono client in a landlord-tenant dispute. This bitter dispute afforded Robert the opportunity to single-chair a jury trial and develop invaluable experience in settlement negotiations, motion practice, oral arguments, and client counseling.
• For more than a decade, Robert has represented clients with the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Center on Wrongful Convictions. Robert’s advocacy has taken him to state and federal court to argue on behalf of the wrongfully convicted. Robert has worked on cases involving eyewitness misidentifications and coerced confessions.
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Boards, Memberships & Certifications

• ACLU of Illinois, Next Generation Society Board Member (2015-present)
• Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Pathfinder (2020)

Professional Activities

• Adjunct Professor, Trial Advocacy – Northwestern University (2021-present)

Publications, Presentations & Recognitions

Publications

• “The End of the Beginning of the Environmental Justice Era?” (co-author) The Magazine for Environmental Managers (2025) 

• “EPA Places Environmental Justice Front and Center,” (co-author) American Bar Association Renewable, Alternative, and Distributed Energy Resources (Apr. 20, 2022)

Recognitions

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Best Lawyers (2022-2024)