Phone: (815) 939-1133
Fax: (815) 939-0994
Contact Chris Bohlen
Chris Bohlen was originally admitted to the Ohio bar, where he spent four years as a felony trial lawyer in the Cleveland, Ohio Legal Aid Defender's office. In 1977 he moved to Kankakee where he has practiced as a trial lawyer since. Chris's practice has included representing persons with injuries, as well as parties in divorce cases. Chris has tried over 200 jury trials to verdict and with that experience is able to negotiate or litigate as the case requires. He has represented the City of Kankakee as either a city attorney or Corporation Counsel from 1993 to 2017. Chris has been rated a Super Lawyer® beginning in 2005 and and most recently in 2018 and has received the highest rating as an AV Preeminent® lawyer for more than 25 years.
Areas of Practice
- Workers' injuries
- Commercial litigation
- Family law
- Municipal law
- Insurance defense
Bar Admissions
State Courts
- Illinois: 1977
- Ohio: 1973
Federal Courts
- Central District of Illinois
- Northern District of Illinois - Trial Bar
- Eastern District of Ohio
- 7th Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States Tax Court
- United States Supreme Court
Education
- Northwestern University School of Law J.D., 1973
- University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, 1970
Professional Affiliations
- Kankakee County Bar Association
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Member of Family Law Section Council
Employment
- Trial Attorney/Partner, Barmann, Bohlen, & Scott, P.C., 1978-Present
- Corporation Counsel, City of Kankakee, 1997-2017
- Assistant City Attorney, City of Kankakee, 1993-1997
- Assistant Public Defender, Kankakee County, 1978-1983
- Trial Attorney, Blanke & Blanke, 1977-1978
- Senior Trial Attorney, Cleveland, Ohio Legal Aid Defender's Office, 1973-1977
Civic Involvement
- Vice Chair, Kankakee County Public Building Commission
- Board Member, Kankakee Development Corporation
- Board Member Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra
- Past Chair and Member, Kankakee Area YMCA Board of Directors
- Past Member, Kankakee Planning Board
- Past Member, Riverview Historic District Board
- Past Member, Kankakee Valley Montessori Board
- Past Chair and Member, Kankakee Valley Park District Board
- Past Board Member Kankakee Valley Special Recreation Association
