Janice Dantes
Founder, Attorney at Law
Biography:
Janice, lovingly known by the nickname “Apple” in her family, is a passionate attorney specializing in family law. She was born in Angeles City, Philippines at the location previously known as Clark Air Force Base and relocated to Chicago, Illinois with her family when she was just three years old. Fluent in Tagalog, Janice is particularly interested in serving the legal needs of the Filipino community in Chicago.
Janice graduated in 2005 with honors from the University of Chicago and earned her Juris Doctorate from DePaul University in 2012. She has been a practicing attorney in Illinois since 2013.
Janice became interested in family law when she saw so many Filipino couples, particularly Filipino women, suffering in silence with no resources to discuss their options for leaving a marriage. The Philippines, a country with a strong Roman Catholic tradition, is one of the few countries in the world where divorce remains illegal for its citizens. She has helped numerous families find a new normal and has been advocating for Filipina women, especially those in abusive relationships and financially precarious positions, leave their spouses.
In her spare time, Janice is a wife and mother of three sons. Her husband is also a lawyer. Janice is an active member of various legal organizations. She is a former president of the Filipino American Lawyer Association (FALA) currently runs the organization’s pro bono legal clinic AGiLA (Attorneys Giving Legal Advice), a satellite clinic of Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS).
Janice is the owner of Pinay Law LLC, a boutique law firm located in downtown Chicago serving the legal needs of Chicago’s Filipino community primarily in the areas of divorce, child custody/support, guardianship, estate planning, probate, real estate, and personal injury/worker’s compensation. Tuloy po kayo!
Notable Experience:
- Founder and Managing Attorney of Pinay Law LLC
- Practice areas: Estate Planning, Family Law, Probate, Real Estate
- Secured multiple settlements in excess of $1M
- Litigated several bench trials including relocation trials
- Participated in successful mediations and arbitrations
- Experienced panelist and moderator of Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
- Conducted and zealously advocated for clients in child support and custody hearings
- Analyzed financial discovery and forensic accounting of complex business structures
- Issued Subpoenas, Conducted Depositions, Enforced Settlements, Presented at Pre-Trial and Case Management Conferences
- Columnist for ViaTimes Magazine
Memberships & Affiliations:
- Treasurer for PACCGC (Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Chicago 2023 – present
- President for the Filipino American Lawyers Association (FALA) 2020 – 2021
- Treasurer for the Filipino American Lawyers Association (FALA) 2022 – present
- Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) Board Member 2022 – present
- Healing Heritage Advisory Board Member 2023 – present
- Filipino American Historical Society (FAHS) Board Member 2023 – present
- Wright College Paralegal Program Advisory Board Member 2023 – present
- University of Chicago Class of 2005 Alumni Representative 2005 – present
- American Bar Association (ABA)
- Chicago Bar Association (CBA)
- Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)
- Asian American Bar Association (AABA)
Awards:
- Super Lawyers Illinois Rising Stars, 2019 – 2023
- Leadership Award for Filipino American Lawyers Association, 2021
- Toastmasters International CVS Caremark Corporate Club Table Topics Speech Contest Winner, Spring 2015
- 2010-2011 Miss Asia DePaul
- University of Chicago Deans List, 2002 – 2004
License:
- Admitted to the bar in Illinois – 2013
Education:
- DePaul University College of Law · Chicago, IL, Juris Doctor, May 2012
- The University of Chicago · Chicago, IL, Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, Minor in Sociology, with Honors, June 2005