PAUL S. FRANCISZKOWICZ has been a Partner at the firm since 2003, having joined Monahan & Cohen as an associate in 1997. From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Franciszkowicz was an Assistant Public Guardian with the Cook County Public Guardian's Office in the Juvenile Division. As a trial attorney, he advocated for and litigated hundreds of cases on behalf of children. Mr. Franciszkowiczis a member of the National Children's Advocacy Committee and the Advocates' Society.
At Monahan & Cohen, he practices in the areas of guardianship, probate, decedent's estates, estate planning, juvenile, mental health and hospital law. Mr. Franciszkowicz has been appointed Guardian ad Litem and attorney defending many respondents in guardianship cases. He has also lectured on guardianship at LoyolaLawSchool for the last several years, and has lectured extensively on issues of guardianship, confidentiality and child welfare practice around the state. He published an article on guardianship for Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medica lCenter's Health Law Report and an article regarding confidentiality for Lorman Educational Services.Illinois-KentCollege and DePaul College of Law. He has been an adjunct professor and co-lectured on Mental Health Law at
Mr. Franciszkowicz successfully litigated and argued M.V. II before the Illinois Appellate Court, which clarified a foster parent's right to contest the Department of Children and Family Services' decisions within the juvenile court process. He is certified by the Department of Children & Family Services as an adoption attorney with subsidy training.
Mr. Franciszkowicz received a Juris Doctor from DePaul College of Law in 1994. He was the recipient of an American Jurisprudence Award in wills and trusts. He is a graduate of the of UniversityChicago, receiving a B.A. in Political Science and Departmental Honors.
Paul can be reached via email at pfranciszkowicz@monahan-cohen.com
COURTNEY STILLMAN has been a Partner at Monahan & Cohen since 2003, having joined the firm as an associate in 2001. She concentrates her practice in special education law and estate planning.
Before joining Monahan & Cohen, Ms. Stillman practiced tax and corporate law and estate planning at Rooks, Pitts & Poust and McDermott, Will & Emery in . She has written several articles on corporate and estate planning issues, such as "Choosing Interest Rates for Family Transactions to Avoid Gift as Well as Imputed Income", 83 Journal of Taxation 3, 155 (Sept. 1995) and "Partnership Merger: The Fourth Method of Incorporating a Partnership", 15 Journal of Partnership Taxation 4, 367(Winter 1999). During this period, she also volunteered her assistance in special education and early intervention cases for the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc.Chicago
In addition to practicing special education law at the firm, Ms. Stillman is a member of the Board of Education of Frankfort Community Consolidated School District 157c and currently serves as President of the Board. She is a member of the Autism Societies of America and , and the Association for Science in Autism Treatment.Illinois
She graduated summa cum laude, first in her class, from Indiana University School of Law in 1992. In law school, Ms. Stillman was an Articles Editor for the Indiana Law Review and received the Faculty Award for outstanding scholarship, leadership and contributions to development of the law school. She earned a B.A. in Political Science from ManchesterCollege, she participated in the Mock Trial Competition and Speech Teams and received awards for Speaker of the Year and Best Supporting Actress.ManchesterCollege in 1989. At
Courtney can be reached via email at cstillman@monahan-cohen.com
