Professor Sam Limentato joined the University of Illinois College of Law faculty in the fall of 2025 as a Lecturer in Law and Associate Director of the Anderson Center for Advocacy and Professionalism, following several years as an adjunct professor and frequent guest lecturer. He teaches a broad curriculum in procedural, doctrinal, and advocacy skills, including Civil Procedure, Basic and Advanced Trial Advocacy, Depositions, Mediation, and Complex Litigation.

An alumnus of the College of Law, Professor Limentato served as a Champaign County Circuit Judge from August 2020 through December 2022. During his tenure on the bench, he presided over the Family Law Division—adjudicating matters involving domestic relations, adoptions, and orders of protection—while also handling broader civil dockets, criminal matters, and judicial warrants. In addition to his judicial service, he has served as an Administrative Law Judge for the Illinois Department of Public Health and as a certified court mediator in Champaign County.

Complementing his judicial background with more than two decades of private practice experience, Professor Limentato joined Meyer Capel as a shareholder in February 2023. He currently serves as a Senior Counsel to the firm, focusing his practice on mediation and arbitration across a comprehensive spectrum of commercial and civil disputes.

Professor Limentato is admitted to practice in Illinois and Florida, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. He is an active member of the Illinois Judges Association, the Champaign County Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association, where he recently served as Chair of the Bench and Bar Section Council. He is also a past member of the Illinois CPA Society.

Deeply invested in civic life, Professor Limentato actively serves the Champaign-Urbana community. His engagement includes service on the boards of directors for Crisis Nursery and Salt & Light, membership in the Champaign Rotary Club, leadership as a past homeowners’ association president, and years of coaching youth and IHSA baseball. He also regularly lectures at local schools, civic forums, and community organizations.

Professor Limentato earned his Bachelor of Arts from Oral Roberts University in 1991 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1994. He passed the Illinois Certified Public Accountant Examination in 1995.