Daniel J. Grueninger was born in January of 1962, and raised in Columbia, Monroe County, Illinois. In 1984, he received a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Political Science and History from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. In June of 1987, he graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Law at Carbondale, Illinois, with a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) in Law. Dan has been a member of the Illinois Bar since November of 1987. He is also licensed before the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (in 1988); the Eastern District of North Carolina (in 1991); the United States Army Court of Military Review (in 1988); the Supreme Court of the United States (in 1998); the United States Court of Federal Claims (in 2004); and the United States Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit (in 2006).

 

Dan is a former criminal prosecutor for the State's Attorney offices in St. Clair, Williamson, and Peoria Counties in Illinois, and a former associate attorney for law firms in both Madison and St. Clair Counties. From 1988 through 1995, he served as an attorney in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps on active duty in the United States Army. While in the Army, he performed duties primarily in the area of Family Law and authored several Family Law articles for military base newspapers.

 

In 1996, he opened a law office on his own, and in July 1997, he moved to his present location. He handles exclusively Family and Juvenile Law cases, as well as Appeals of all Family Law matters, to include: divorce; custody; child support; alimony (maintenance); parentage (paternity); adoption; orders of protection; guardianship; visitation; non-minor education expenses; name changes; juvenile abuse, neglect, dependency, and delinquency; and school suspensions and expulsions.

 

He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) and of the Family Law Section for the ISBA; and he served on the Committee for Military Affairs from 2001 until 2006. He has been a member of the St. Clair County Bar Association (SCCBA) since 1996; and has been listed in Who's Who in American Law. He has served as a guardian ad litem (GAL) in custody, adoption, and guardianship cases, making recommendations directly to the judge; and has given lectures to members of the United States Marine Corps, the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocates at Scott AFB, and fellow attorneys on issues of Family and Military Law.

 

Dan has experience in over 2,500 trials and hearings, to include more than 75 jury trials. He attends annual training courses and seminars in Family Law, and maintains both the latest in Family Law education materials as well as internet access to the latest cases. He has extensive experience in both areas, and represents clients at numerous courthouses over southern and central Illinois. Dan has given lectures to judges and fellow attorneys, on both Military Law issues as they affect Family Law, and on Guardianship issues. He also has testified as an expert witness in complex Military cases involving Family Law, notably on application of the Servicemember's Civil Relief Act (and prior SSCRA), and on the division of military pensions under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA).

 

Dan currently resides in Smithton, IL and lives with his wife, Jennifer. Together they have four children. In his leisure time, Dan enjoys spending time with his family and watching football.