NIU Law Alum David Neal (’80) was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) Review Board. His term is effective from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2026.
Dave Neal currently serves as Pretrial Fairness Act Division Legal Chief for the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor (SAAP) in Springfield, Illinois. Dave has served as a full-time Statewide Special Prosecutor at SAAP since 2012. Dave is a former public official, serving two terms as the elected State’s Attorney of Grundy County, Illinois, from 1988 to 1996. As a Municipal Prosecutor, Assistant State’s Attorney, elected State’s Attorney, and Statewide Special Prosecutor, Dave has served as lead counsel in the prosecution of every type of criminal case from traffic and misdemeanors to violent felonies, official corruption, and death penalty murder.
Dave is a Past-President of the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association and a former Member of the Board of Directors of the National District Attorneys Association. Active in legislative matters, Dave has authored and co-authored several pieces of legislation now enacted into law; including the Illinois Crime Victims Bill of Rights, the Violence Against Women Act, and the Illinois Stalker Law. Dave has previously served on the Illinois State Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Committee evaluating candidates for Illinois Appellate Court Justice, the Illinois Truth in Sentencing Commission, and the United States Violence Against Women Task Force. In addition to his service as the Grundy County State’s Attorney, Dave has been appointed to serve as Special State’s Attorney for two other Illinois counties during the extended absence or incapacity of their elected State’s Attorney.
Dave earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lewis University in 1977 and earned his juris doctorate from Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1980, where he was honored to deliver the Commencement Address for his graduating class.
The Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission operates under the authority of the Illinois Supreme Court, which has sole authority to regulate the admission and discipline of lawyers in Illinois. The Review Board is composed of nine lawyer members appointed by the Supreme Court to three-year terms. The Review Board considers appeals from the reports of the Hearing Board.
