In the Valparaiso Moraine glacial valley in McHenry County lies the village of Algonquin. While today it is a suburb of Chicago, it was once home to Potawatomi Native Americans. In 1832, the Black Hawk War marked the last of the native resistance to white settlement in the region and after losing, the Potawatomi ceded their lands in Illinois in 1833.
By 1890, Algonquin had become a summer vacation destination for families from Chicago. Later on, the Great Depression forced many to permanently settle in their summer homes after losing their properties. The beauty and serenity of the place led to an influx of migrants. In 1950 in particular, after World War 2, veterans found the village very suitable for their recovery and raising young children. Algonquin is considered one of the safest places to live in for families, with a crime rate that is 77% lower than the rest of the country.
Algonquin has a council-manager type of government and employs only over 100 staff to oversee town management. It is a fire protection and rescue service, a school district that provides education up to high school, and three libraries namely the Huntley Public Library, Dundee Township Library, and the Barrington Area Library. McHenry County is known for its literacy programs for adult learners.
If you are a student who wants to obtain a degree and enter the legal practice in the future, the nearest law schools for you are located in Chicago, namely the:
- Chicago-Kent College of Law of the Illinois Institute of Technology;
- John Marshall Law School of the University of Illinois at Chicago; and
- DePaul University College of Law.
Most of the lawyers practicing in Algonquin and Chicago obtained their degrees from these three universities. Pre-law courses are available at various other universities in Chicago.
If you are interested in attending free legal clinics or obtaining low-cost legal aid, you may inquire or apply with the Prairie State Legal Services, in McHenry, about half an hour from downtown Algonquin. However, it is worth noting that these pro bono services could take some time to assign a lawyer to you due to the large intake of applicants that they receive daily.
If you want to hire a local attorney in Algonquin, allow Legalmatch to do it for you. Our user-friendly web search will match you up with the legal professional most suited to your needs.
If you feel that you still need to read more about specific legal issues before consulting a lawyer, try browsing through our Online Law Library. It has over 10,000 articles that can shed light on your legal concerns.