300 S. County Farm Road, Suite F, Wheaton, IL 60189 |  630-690-0100
300 S. County Farm Road, Suite F, Wheaton, IL 60189
630-690-0100

Janella L. Barbrow

dupage county attorney janella barbrow
9.8Janella Lynn Barbrow

Attorney Janella L. Barbrow concentrates her practice in eminent domain matters, tort cases, commercial claims, and in the prosecution and handling of appellate matters. She has handled issues including negligence, municipal liability, premises liability, Civil Rights Act, Human Rights Act, construction negligence, product liability, Dram Shop Act, aviation, breach of contract, employment matters, gas explosions, patent infringement, and warehouseman's liability actions.

Ms. Barbrow has participated in all aspects of pretrial work, discovery, and trial preparation. Handled cases in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and other federal courts throughout the country. She has also handled cases in the Circuit Courts of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry, Ogle, Peoria, Warren, Winnebago, Whiteside, and Will Counties, and before the Illinois Human Rights Commission.

During law school, Ms. Barbrow served as a law clerk for the Honorable John C. Ahlgrimm, Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Racine County, Wisconsin (Summer, 1979), and as a research assistant for Professor Jonathan M. Landers of the University of Illinois (Summer, 1980).

Educational and Background Awards

  • University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign, Illinois
    • Received J.D. in May 1981; recipient of the Rickert Award and the Waterman Prize for Excellence in Moot Court; member of the colleges National Moot Court Team and Moot Court Board.
  • College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
    • Received a B.A. in Economics and History in May, 1978.
  • Stella Maris International School, Kobe, Japan
    • Attended from 1968 to 1974; graduated from high school in June 1974.

Bar Admissions and Appointments

  • Supreme Court of Illinois - admitted November, 1981
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois - Admitted March, 1983
  • Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals - admitted January, 1989
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana - Admitted March, 1991
  • Supreme Court of the United States - admitted September, 1992
  • Special Assistant Attorney General, State of Illinois - 2004 to Present

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Illinois State Bar Association, Current
  • DuPage County Bar Association, Current
  • Chairman, Appellate Law and Practice Committee, 2015-16, 1995 - 1996
  • Appellate Lawyers Association, Member, Board of Directors, 1992 - 1995

Appeals Written

  • Burke v. 12 Rothchilds Liquor Mart, Inc., 148 Ill.2d 429, 593 N.E.2d 522 (1992) (amicus brief)
  • Burris v. Madison County, 154 Ill.App.3d 1064, 507 N.E.2d 1267 (5th Dist. 1987)
  • Cambridge at Countryside Homeowner's Association v. City of Aurora, #2-10-0032 (2nd Dist. 2010)
  • Dillard v. Kean, 183 Ill.App.3d 28, 538 N.E.2d 914 (2nd Dist. 1989)
  • Dimmig v. LaSalle County, 983 F.2d 86 (7th Cir. 1993), cert. denied, 114 S.Ct. 176 (1993)
  • Drentlaw v. Northfield Block Co., 238 Ill.App.3d 1113, 656 N.E.2d 252 (2nd Dist. 1993) (#2-91-0030) (unpublished order)
  • Estate of Shea v. Brennan, 364 Ill.App.3d 963, 848 N.E.2d 185 (2nd Dist. 2006)
  • Finley v. Mercer County, 172 Ill.App.3d 30, 526 N.E.2d 635 (3rd Dist. 1988)
  • George v. Cougar Package Designers, Inc., et al., #02-05-0513
  • Harkala v. Wildwood Realty, Inc., 200 Ill.App.3d 447, 558 N.E.2d 195 (1st Dist. 1990)
  • Harnack v. Fanady, #1-12-1424, (1st Dist. 2012) appeal pending
  • In Re Estate of Castro, 289 Ill.App.3d 1071, 68N.E.2d 1255 (2nd Dist. 1997)
  • In re Estate of Mary Baldassare, an Alleged Disabled Person. (Arthur Erhardt, Respondent/Appellant v. Estate of Mary Baldassarre, Petitioner/ Appellee), 2018 IL App (2d) 170996, 129 N.E.3d 170 (2018)
  • Irving Pulp & Paper, Ltd. v. Dunbar Transfer & Storage Co., 732 F.2d 511 (6th Cir. 1984)
  • Kavanaugh v. Midwest Club, Inc., 164 Ill.App.3d 213, 517 N.E.2d 656 (2nd Dist. 1987)
  • King v. Linemaster Switch Corp., 238 Ill.App.3d 729, 606 N.E.2d 584 (1st Dist. 1992)
  • King v. Village of Ashland, #4-87-0270 (4th Dist. 1987) (unpublished order)
  • Kluge v. DuPage County Forest Preserve District, 162 Ill.App.3d 1168, 528 N.E.2d 1115 (2nd Dist. 1987) (#2-89-0227) (unpublished order)
  • Kolmin v. Village of Wilmette, 250 Ill.App.3d 83, 621 N.E.2d 64 (1st Dist. 1993)
  • Larimore v. Greenwood Township, 194 Ill.App.3d 1113, 580 N.E.2d 206 (2nd Dist. 1990) (#2-89-0463) (unpublished order)
  • Lauer v. Dahlberg, #89-2822 (7th Cir. 1990) (unpublished order)
  • Lekki v. Eagle Food Centers, Inc., 363 Ill.App.3d 1191, 917 N.E.2d 633 (1st Dist. 2006) (#1-05-1697, unpublished order)
  • Leverson v. Likeness, 247 Ill.App.3d 1108, 659 N.E.2d 1003 (3rd Dist. 1993) (#3-92-790) (unpublished order)
  • Lydon v. Eagle Food Centers, 297 Ill.App.3d 90, 696 N.E.2d 1211 (2nd Dist. 1998)
  • M & L Food Services, Inc. v. Village of Hanover Park, 230 Ill.App.3d 1106, 649 N.E.2d 632 (1st Dist. 1992) (#1-91-0142, unpublished order)
  • Mayer v. Heims, #95-2985 (7th Cir. 1996) (unpublished order)
  • McLellan v. Suburban Buick Company, #2-06-0942 (2nd Dist. 2008) (unpublished order)
  • Michigan City v. Poff, 612 N.E.2d 223 (Ind.App., 3rd Dist. 1993)
  • Myre v. Kroger Co., 176 Ill.App.3d 160, 530 N.E.2d 1122 (1st Dist. 1988) (co-author)
  • Nagel v. Gerald Dennen & Co., 272 Ill.App.3d 516, 650 N.E.2d 547 (1st Dist. 1995)
  • Nolan v. Elliot, 179 Ill.App.3d 1077, 535 N.E.2d 1053 (2nd Dist. 1989)
  • Polka v. Turner, 182 Ill.App.3d 1077, 535 N.E.2d 640 (1st Dist. 1989)
  • Power Dry of Chicago, Inc., v. Matthew Bean, et al., #2-21-0043 (2nd Dist. 2021) Appeal Pending
  • Prince v. Builders Square, Inc., #1-96-1693 (1st Dist. 1997) (unpublished order)
  • Reed v. Gardner, 986 F.2d 1122 (7th Cir. 1993), cert. denied, 114 S.Ct. 389 (1993)
  • Richards v. Builders Square, Inc., #1-97-1263 (1st Dist. 1997) (unpublished order)
  • Scarano v. Town of Ela, 166 Ill.App.3d 184, 520 N.E.2d 62 (2nd Dist. 1988)
  • Soler v. Waite, 989 F.2d 251 (7th Cir. 1993)
  • Suburban 1, Inc. v. GHS Mortgage, LLC, et al., 358 Ill.App.3d 769, 833 N.E.2d 18 (2nd Dist. 2005)
  • Surestaff, Inc v. United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, 2019 Ill. App. 172678 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019), 2019 IL App (1st) 172678-U
  • Trail v. Moran, 253 Ill.App.3d 1113, 667 N.E.2d 749 (2nd Dist. 1994) (#2-93-0200, unpublished order)
  • The Travelers Indemnity Company v. Markham Home Improvements Corp., 2011 WL 2222130 (2nd Dist. 2010) (#2-10-0217, unpublished order)
  • Trembczyski v. City of Calumet City, 252 Ill.App.3d 966, 625 N.E.2d 215 (1st Dist. 1993)
  • Van Hattem, et al. v. Kmart Corporation, et al., 308 Ill.App.3d 121, 719 N.E.2d 212 (1st Dist. 1999)
  • Wasowicz v. Knight, #3-02-0486 (3rd Dist. 2003) (unpublished order)
  • Williams v. Fischer, 221 Ill.App.3d 117, 581 N.E.2d 744 (5th Dist. 1991)
  • Williams v. Eagle Food Centers, Inc., #1-96-0070 (1st Dist.1997) (unpublished order)

Speeches, Presentations, and Publications

  • Answer or Attack: The Plaintiffs Complaint and a Defendants Response Options (prepared with Mark T. Schmidt), presented in two sessions to the Civil Division of the DuPage County States Attorneys Office, Wheaton, IL - May 1993.
  • The 1996 Supreme Court of Illinois Rule Changes: Gamesmanship Abolished or Enhanced? (prepared with Mark T. Schmidt), initially presented to the Civil Division of the DuPage County States Attorneys Office, Wheaton, IL - September 1995.