Principled Advocacy For Families And Individuals With Disabilities And The Professionals Who Serve Them

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Mark J. Heyrman

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Biography

Mr. Heyrman brings over 40 years of experience to Monahan Law Group, LLC, advocating for individuals with mental illnesses.  He focuses his practice in guardianship and mental health legislation.

Mr. Heyrman is an experienced litigator and has tried cases at every level of the State and Federal Courts.  He has been influential in improving law related to mental illnesses. Many of his cases have been precedent setting. Additionally, Mr. Heyrman has authored 10 scholarly publications and has worked on over 40 pieces of legislation related to mental health.

Prior to joining Monahan Law Group, LLC, Mr. Heyrman was a clinical Professor of Law where his work has been dedicated to representing persons with mental illnesses in state and federal courts, drafting and working to enact mental health legislation and teaching law students mental health law and mental health advocacy.

Practice Areas

  • Mental Health Legislation and Policy

Education

  • University of Chicago Law School, Chicago, Illinois
    • J.D.
  • University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois
    • B.A.
    • Major: Administration of Criminal Justice

Bar Admission

  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
  • United States Supreme Court

Published Works

  • Co-Author, Lawyers' Attitudes Toward Involuntary Treatment, 34 J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry & Law 492, 2006
  • Co-Author, Structural Stigma in State Legislation, 56 Psychiatric Services 557, May, 2005
  • Co-Author, Stigma and the Police, On the Stigma of Mental Illness, Patrick Corrigan, ed., American Psychological Association, 2004
  • Author, Five Things Every Lawyer Should Know About Mental Health Law, 18 Chi. B. Assn. Record 31, January, 2004
  • Author, Mental Health Court: Promises and Limitations, 28 J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry & Law 476, 2000
  • Author, Mental Illness in Prisons and Jails, 7 U. Chi. Roundtable 113, 2000
  • Author, Regulating Law Schools: Should the ABA Accreditation Process Be Used to Speed the Implementation of the MacCrate Report Recommendations?, 1 Clinical L. Rev. 389, 1994
  • Author, No Way In, The Law School Record 10, Spring, 1991
  • Author, The Mentally Disabled in the Criminal Justice System, 78 Ill. Bar J. 132, 1990
  • Editor, Report of the Governor's Commission to Revise the Mental Health Code of Illinois, 1989

Honors

  • Mike Flannery Community Service Award, the National Alliance on Mental Illinois of Greater Chicago, 2011
  • "Heroes in the Fight" Award, the National Alliance on Mental Illness—Illinois, 2008
  • Award for mental health advocacy, the Mental Health Association in Illinois, 2006
  • Selected to Super Lawyers, 2005-2007
  • Pro Bono award, Equip for Equality, Inc. for work on behalf of persons with mental disabilities, 2003
  • First Annual Award for "Outstanding Advocacy", the Clinical Legal Education Association, 2002
  • "Special Recognition Award" for work to preserve community mental health funding, the Community Mental Health Council, Inc., 2002
  • Gold Bell Award as "Mental Health Person of the Year", the Mental Health Association in Illinois, 2001
  • "Advocate of the Year" from CURE--Illinois, 2015

Past Positions

  • The University of Chicago Law School, Chicago, Illinois, Clinical Professor of Law, Faculty Director for Clinical Programs
  • Governor’s Commission to Revise the Mental Health Code of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, Executive Director
  • Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago, Illinois, Visiting Associate Professor
  • Office of the State Appellate Defender of Illinois, Elgin, Illinois, Assistant Defender

Professional Associations

  • Illinois State Bar Association, Standing Committee on the Mentally Disabled, Chair, 1998 - 1999, 2012 - 2013
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Standing Committee on the Mentally Disabled, Legislative Liaison, 2013 - present
  • The Chicago Bar Association, Mental Health Law Committee, Legislative Liaison, 2013 - present
  • The Clinical Legal Education Association, Founding Member of the Board of Directors and Secretary-Treasurer, 1992 - 2000
  • Mental Health America, Member, 2004 - 2010
  • Mental Health America, Member of the Public Policy Committee, 2004 – present
  • Mental Health America, Chair, 2007 - 2010
  • Mental Health America, Vice Chair, 2010 - 2011
  • Mental Health America of Illinois, Member, 1996 - present
  • Mental Health America of Illinois, Board President, 1998 - 2000
  • Mental Health America of Illinois, Chair of the Public Policy Committee, 1996 - present
  • Illinois Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council, Member, 1997 - 2015
  • Illinois Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council, Co-Chair, 2006 -2009
  • Mental Health Summit, Founding Member and Summit Facilitator, 2000 - present
  • CURE-Illinois, Board of Directors, 2015 – 2016
  • CURE-Illinois, Board Secretary, 2016
  • Adler School of Professional Psychology, President’s Cabinet Member, 2005 - 2006
  • Mental Health Service System Planning Council of Greater Chicago, Steering Committee Member, 1999 – 2003
  • Chicago Consortium for Stigma Research, Member, 1999 - 2004
  • Illinois Senate Mental Health Evaluation and Treatment Task Force, Member, 1999 - 2002
  • Illinois Guardianship Reform Project Task Force, Chair, 1999 - 2000
  • Joint Working Group on Mental Health Legislation in Illinois, Member Facilitator and Principle Reporter, 1995 - 2003
  • Governor’s Task Force to Review the Treatment of Mentally Ill Parents in the Juvenile Justice System, Member, 1998 - 2000
  • Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation, Board Member, 1983 - 1984
  • Howard Area Community Center, Board Member, 1982 – 1993
  • Howard Area Community Center, Board President, 1984 -1986
  • Howard/Paulina Development Corporation, Board Member, 1988 - 1994

Representative Cases

  • Dempsey v. Saddler, (Cir. Ct. Cook Cty, 2012)
  • Baker v. Adams, 02 CH15962 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cty, 2004)
  • Williams v. Staples, 208 Ill. 480 (2004)
  • C.J. v. DMHDD, 296 Ill. App. 3d 17 (1st Dist. 1998); 331 Ill. App. 3d 871 (1st Dist. 2002)
  • Cross v. Staples 1-99-3174 (1st Dist. 2001)
  • Lucas v. Peters, 318 Ill. App. 3d 1 (1st Dist. 2000)
  • Brown v. Murphy, 278 Ill. App. 3d 981 (1st Dist. 1996)
  • Henderson v. McDonald, No. 94 C 55 (N.D. Ill. June 12, 1996)
  • Love v. Chicago, 96 C 0396 (N.D. Ill. (1999)
  • Estate of Merritt, 272 Ill. App. 3d 1017 (1st Dist. 1995)
  • Turner v. Campagna, 281 Ill. App. 3d 109- (1st Dist. (1996)
  • Radazewski v. Cawley, 159 Ill. 2d 372 (1994)
  • Chambers v. Illinois Fair Employment Practices Commission, 96 Ill. App. 3d 884 (1st Dist. 1981)
  • Kulak v. Belletire, 148 Ill. App. 3d 268 (1st Dist. 1986)
  • People v. Roush, 101 Ill. 2d 355 (1984)
  • Yiadom v. Kiley, 204 Ill. App. 3d 418 (1st Dist. 1990)
  • Goode v. Pavkovic, No. 81 C 2491 (N.D. Ill. April 26, 1984)