Donald M. Craven Born and raised in Springfield, Ill., Donald M. Craven attended Pleasant Plains High School before graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., in 1978. He attended Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale, where he taught legal writing and moot court courses and was an articles editor for the Southern Illinois University Law Journal. Upon graduating in 1981, Mr. Craven went to work for the Springfield law firm of Londrigan & Potter (now Londrigan, Potter & Randle), where he practiced general business law for five years. Don Craven works in his office. Mr. Craven later joined his father, former Illinois Appellate Court Justice James C. Craven, in practice in Springfield, concentrating from 1986 to 1989 on media issues and voting rights litigation on behalf of black and Hispanic communities in Illinois and California. Since then the voting rights portion of Mr. Craven’s practice has been significantly reduced, and he now concentrates on libel and First Amendment issues, access to government meetings and records, and the business issues of concern to newspapers. Mr. Craven has counseled executive directors and board members of the Illinois Press Association, Illinois Broadcasters Association, and Illinois News Broadcasters Association on association activities, both legal and legislative. Mr. Craven has testified before committees of the Illinois General Assembly on media issues and has successfully argued several media cases before the Appellate Court of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Mr. Craven is the author of the Illinois chapter of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press publication, Tapping Officials’ Secrets. In 2002 Mr. Craven won the Democratic primary for the Illinois House of Representatives in the 99th Legislative District, though he was beaten by a long-time incumbent in the general election. In addition, Mr. Craven has served as counsel to firefighter unions, pension boards, and individual firefighters throughout Illinois. Mr. Craven has assisted unions in disciplinary matters, contract negotiations, legislative affairs, and has produced seminars for union conferences. Mr. Craven was inducted as the first Honorary Member of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 37 in Springfield for services to the union, its members, and the family of a fallen firefighter. Mr. Craven maintains a general business practice, and has served as counsel to firefighter unions, pension boards, and individual firefighters throughout Illinois. In addition, Mr. Craven serves on Illinois State Bar Association committees. Click here to send e-mail to Mr. Craven.