Benedict Schwarz II

Benedict Schwarz II has dedicated his legal career to matrimonial and family law for more than four decades. He is a past director of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and a skilled divorce mediator. As an educator, Mr. Schwarz has conducted numerous 40-hour divorce mediation training sessions and conflict resolution seminars. He has also contributed to chapters on these topics for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education publications.

In 1992, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Mr. Schwarz as a Commissioner of the Lawyer Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC). He served as Chairperson of the Commission from January 2001 to December 2010. Following this, he was appointed to the Review Board of the Counsel Registration and Disciplinary Commission, a position he holds to this day.

Mr. Schwarz is actively involved in the Kane County and Illinois State Bar Associations, having held numerous committee roles, including on the Family Law Section Council, Child Support Sub-Committee, and Domestic Violence Task Force. He also led the Kane County State’s Attorney Task Force on Domestic Violence and the Kane County Batterer’s Task Force.

Admitted to the bar in 1971, Mr. Schwarz is a graduate of the John Marshall Law School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Psychology. Since 2006, he has been recognized as one of Illinois Super Lawyers, an honor awarded to only 5% of Illinois attorneys annually. Martindale-Hubbell has awarded him the highest AV Preeminent rating of 5.0 out of 5. He is also an Advanced Practitioner member of The Association for Conflict Resolution.