Janet K. Maxwell-Wickett
I started my own practice in order to more effectively help clients meet their legal needs. I am in private law practice with my primary office in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. I am licensed to practice law in Illinois and am also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan in 1991 and my Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law in 1997. My primary practice area is family law - litigating divorce, parentage, child custody and support, and domestic violence / order of protection issues. I have also represented families with children with special education needs. I currently serve as an Impartial Due Process Hearing Officer for the Illinois State Board of Education. I am an active member of the Chicago Bar Association, Northwest Suburban Bar Association, and Illinois State Bar Association.
I began my legal career as an Assistant State’s Attorney in McHenry County where I prosecuted traffic, misdemeanor criminal, and domestic violence offenses. I served as a staff attorney to the Hon. Joseph J. Urso and the Hon. Colleen McSweeney Moore in the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Criminal Division and as an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the City of Chicago’s Municipal Prosecutions Unit. I previously served as an impartial hearing officer for the State of Illinois, Department of Human Services, Home Services Program.
I also work as a pro bono attorney with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago. As a volunteer attorney with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, I served as counsel in divorce cases and as a child’s representative, representing children in disputed custody cases. I have also served as counsel in guardianship cases for disabled children and adults. As a volunteer attorney with Legal Assistance Foundation, I have represented families of children with special education needs. I am an active volunteer in Park Ridge/Niles School District 64 where I served on the Executive Board of the Franklin Elementary PTA and served as a Trustee on the Board of District 64’s Elementary Learning Foundation.
I began my legal career as an Assistant State’s Attorney in McHenry County where I prosecuted traffic, misdemeanor criminal, and domestic violence offenses. I served as a staff attorney to the Hon. Joseph J. Urso and the Hon. Colleen McSweeney Moore in the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Criminal Division and as an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the City of Chicago’s Municipal Prosecutions Unit. I previously served as an impartial hearing officer for the State of Illinois, Department of Human Services, Home Services Program.
I also work as a pro bono attorney with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago. As a volunteer attorney with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, I served as counsel in divorce cases and as a child’s representative, representing children in disputed custody cases. I have also served as counsel in guardianship cases for disabled children and adults. As a volunteer attorney with Legal Assistance Foundation, I have represented families of children with special education needs. I am an active volunteer in Park Ridge/Niles School District 64 where I served on the Executive Board of the Franklin Elementary PTA and served as a Trustee on the Board of District 64’s Elementary Learning Foundation.