John W. Countryman

Of Counsel

John W. Countryman

Judge John W. Countryman of DeKalb retired in 2001 after serving as the Presiding Circuit Judge in DeKalb County. He had served as a Circuit Judge for twelve years. He was recalled in 2008 for one year by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve in Kane County. Prior to becoming a Circuit Judge, he was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives for seven years and prior to that he served as the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Elections for approximately five years.

Admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1970, he has served in many public positions including Public Defender of DeKalb County, an Adjunct Professor at Northern Illinois University College of Law, President of the Kishwaukee YMCA Board of Directors, President of the Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary Club, Chairman of the International Council on Governmental Ethics Laws, and President of the DeKalb County Bar Association. Mr. Countryman has received over the years many honors and awards, the most notable is the Bud Geigle Award for service to Northern Illinois University in 1990. In 1997 the Northern Illinois University Foundation bestowed him with the Humanitarian Award for his service to higher education.


After his retirement from the bench, Mr. Countryman began his mediation practice. He has mediated many types of civil cases with the exception of family disputes. He has used his Judicial experience, combined with his advanced mediation training at The National Judicial College, to settle many complex litigation matters.


Mr. Countryman is Of Counsel to Foster Buick in Sycamore, IL

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