Marie Sarantakis

Marie Sarantakis

Class Year

’12

Current home

Chicago, IL

Major(s)

Political Science, Philosophy

Current Position

Founding Attorney

Marie Sarantakis is a 2012 graduate of Carthage College, where she studied political science, philosophy, and the sociology of religion as a Clausen Scholar. She interned for the Kenosha County Public Defender’s Office, Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office, and with Chief Judge Mary Wagner. Her achievements include being a Wingspread Fellow of the Johnson Foundation and recipient of a Patterson Leadership Award.

Ms. Sarantakis has received many honors throughout her career such as Rising Star for Super Lawyers of Illinois by Thomson Reuters in 2019 and 2018, National Association of Distinguished Counsel Fellow in 2018, National Family Law Academy for Top 10 Family Law Attorneys Under 40 in Illinois for 2017, along with many more. 

Ms. Sarantakis is fluent in Greek and enjoys traveling abroad. In the United Kingdom, she was featured on the covers of novels written by prominent authors such as Danielle Steel and Tania Crosse. Meanwhile, in June of 2012, she released her debut book, Essentially Raw, which is a dietary guide and cookbook.

Ms. Sarantakis has her Juris Doctorate degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. In her spare time, she volunteers for Orphans of the Storm, helping find homes for neglected pets. Ms. Sarantakis continues to enjoy modeling and promoting healthy eating to audiences worldwide.

“Carthage provided me with a strong foundation to not only think outside of the box but to communicate my ideas to others.”

Marie Sarantakis, ’12

What have you enjoyed most about your career?

“Being a family law attorney is incredibly rewarding. I am able to connect with my clients during one of the most tumultuous times in their life and help them navigate the challenges. I consider it my duty to not only help them see through the complexities of the legal battle they face, but to help provide them with the resources, encouragement, and vision they need to help reconstruct their lives after divorce.”

How did Carthage prepare you?

“My education at Carthage focused on the humanities. The course work available provided me with a diverse background of cultures, values, and ideas. I learned how to process the same information from several different perspectives. This is something that I have to do every day in my career as a lawyer. I have learned that we cannot oversimplify the world with stark dualities. There may not always be a clear right or wrong answer. Rather our paradigm may shift when we obtain more information. Being a lawyer requires being open-minded, avoiding making judgments, and always seeking additional information.”

How has your liberal arts education benefitted you?

“Carthage taught me how to develop creative solutions to challenges. In my legal career, I’m often faced with parties who have diametrically opposing goals and I’m in a position where I can help these litigants craft a creative solution to meet their family’s needs. The philosophy and communication courses that I took at Carthage provided me with a strong foundation to not only think outside of the box but to communicate my ideas to others.”


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