ABOUT DIANE

After growing up in Rockford, Illinois, Diane attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she completed her bachelor’s degree work in the field of education. Shortly after, Diane pursued a Master’s degree in the field of Library and Information Science and considered a career working in the field of historical children’s books. Reading, books and libraries are among Diane’s favorite things. A strong desire to be a change agent in the public school system lead Diane to begin coursework in educational administration. Diane completed an Advanced Certificate degree in Educational Organization and Leadership in 2003.

Ultimately, Diane realized that her desire to attend law school, first recognized when she was a senior in high school, was undiminished. As her oldest daughter left home to begin her freshman year at the University of Minnesota, Diane started law school at Northern Illinois University. Diane considers the three years she spent at law school as a “gift she gave herself” and continues each day to find joy and satisfaction engaging in the practice of law. Graduating cum laude from Northern Illinois University’s College of Law, Diane’s article “Collegiate Team Prayer and the First Amendment” was selected for publication in the May, 2005 issue of The Brief, the DuPage County Bar Journal.

Diane is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, DeKalb County Bar Association, the Kane County Bar Association and the Women’s Bar Association of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit. WIM (Women in Management) also counts Diane as a member. WIM is an organization that provides mentoring and support to its members who are primarily businesswomen in the local community. Diane also belongs to No Limits, a non-partisan, issues-based organization that enables members to stay informed and active on a range of domestic and international policy issues through information, education, and advocacy. Through her volunteer activities, Diane supports the work of Special Olympics of Illinois in serving those with developmental disabilities.

Some of Diane’s published works include:

  • Filling a Vacancy on the School Board – Who Has the Authority? The School Board Journal, vol. 74, no. 6, November/December 2006.
  • U.S. Supreme Court Weighs in on the Issue of Burden of Proof in Special Education Cases, Ottosen, Britz, Kelly, Cooper & Gilbert, Ltd. Legal Insights for School Districts, vol. 13, no. 1, Winter, 2006.
  • Seventh Circuit Clarifies Procedural Due Process Requirements for Standard Suspensions, Ottosen, Britz, Kelly, Cooper & Gilbert, Ltd. Legal Insights for School Districts, vol. 13, no. 1, Winter, 2006.
  • Collegiate Team Prayer and the First Amendment, The Brief - DuPage County Bar Journal, May, 2005.
  • Government Lawyer Argues “Assassination is not Torture-Seventh Circuit Disagrees- Case Note: Comollari vs. Ashcroft,” The Globe, Illinois State Bar Association Section on International and Immigration Law Section Newsletter, vol. 42, no. 5, January 2005.
  • Victim’s Economic Security and Safety Act (“VESSA”), and Jurisdiction by the Illinois Department of Labor, Illinois State Bar Association Section on Administrative Law, vol. 33, no. 8, May, 2004.
  • Relocation in Custody and Divorce: Giving Weight to the Best Interests of the Custodial Parent in Alignment with the Best Interests of the Child, The Challenge, Newsletter of the Illinois State Bar Association Standing Committee on Minority and Women Law Participants), vol. 14, May 2004, coauthored with Colleen Buckwalter.
  • Adventuring With Books, “Fantasy Literature : Making the Impossible Possible”, National Council of Teachers of English, 2000. pp.432 – 451. Co-editor.

Education

  • Northern Illinois University, 2005
    Juris Doctor
    Honors: Cum Laude
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2003
    Advanced Certificate, Educational Organization and Leadership
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1989
    Master of Science, Library and Information Science
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1980
    Bachelor of Science, Education
    Study Abroad Program Bath, England, participant

 

 
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