Craig S. Mielke - Attorney

Attorney Craig S. Mielke, a partner at Foote-Meyers, brings a balance to a firm that already prides itself on a natural cohesiveness.

Admitted to the Illinois State andU.S. Distirct Court Bars in 1980 after earning his law degree from the University of Illinois where he completed his undergraduate studies in 1977, Mielke credits his experiences over the years for giving him a perspective he often shares with others at Foote-Meyers.

“I try to bring a little Zen to the practice of law, which is to try to make every day and every case a good experience. By doing that, you get the best result,” he said. “If you worry or stress about things, you don’t get a good result.”

Born in Oak Park in 1955, Mielke has taken on thousands of workers’ compensation cases, gone to jury trials on dozens of cases and been a part of nearly 70 cases heard by the Illinois Appellate and Supreme Courts  and U.S. District and Seventh Circuit Appellate Courts.

Mielke is also a part of the firm’s team that works on labor relations matters, including police union contracts. One of his most satisfying efforts was the firm’s work with the Aurora police union. “We’re very proud of Aurora, in particular,” Mielke explains. “We believe they have one of the best contracts in Illinois.”

The union work has grown by word of mouth from the Aurora officers, as has the workers compensation aspects of Mielke’s practice.

“Workers’ compensation vary dramatically in size and difficulty, so we can take the smaller cases,” he said. “We try to be of service to all clients big and small.”

As it relates to personal injury cases, Mielke agrees with the philosophy of his partners: Doing the best you can, on a professional and emotional level, for people dealing with a difficult time in their lives. “A happy client is our best advertiser to the outside,” he said.

Mielke currently serves as chairman of the Kane County Bar Association’s Civil Practice Committee . He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. From 1997 to 2000, Mielke served on the Illinois Supreme Court Committee for Civil Jury Instructions.

Mielke has done work within the community for the Anderson Animal Shelter and the Fox Valley Girl Scouts and is a member of the Columbia Yacht Club.

View Craig Mielke's Leading Lawyers profile by clicking here.