Alumni Spotlight - Dan Cordis 

By Camille Daugherty

After students graduate from Princeville High School, many become leaders, entrepreneurs, and go on to create successful careers. Dan Cordis, class of 1998, is no exception. He has invested back into our community working with the Cordis and Cordis law firm, which has truly benefited Princeville.

Cordis is no stranger to law practice. He grew up around the career, as his father opened a law office in Princeville in 1971.  However, it took until midway through college for Cordis to decide to go to law school. In 2005, he started working at a large law firm in Chicago, but chose to return to Princeville to practice law a couple years later in 2009. 

“I wanted to live around family, and I like Central Illinois,” Cordis said about his motives for his job change. “Also, while I would not earn as much income back here in Princeville as I was in Chicago it was an opportunity to have a better quality of life from a work-life balance perspective.”

Although working in such a small town has its downsides, Cordis has found a way to make it work. “I am proudest of the fact that we have been able to make a living in a small town in rural America, which is not the easiest thing to do,” Cordis said.  “I am also proud that our law office grew to include four attorneys and five staff before I became a judge.”

After many years of working in our community, Cordis was selected to fill an associate judge position in Tazewell County and took the bench just this September. “I'm only three weeks into being a judge, but I like the job very much,” he said. “It's a new challenge taking on a different role in a courtroom other than being a lawyer advocating for a client.” 

This new promotion is great for Cordis, but there are also things he misses about his old job. Practicing law with his family and working with clients and friends in the area are great experiences he’ll never forget.

It’s not easy running a small business, and Cordis has faced his fair share of adversity. Work and perseverance, however, have helped him come out on top in his career field. For those in a similar situation, Cordis offers some advice: “Work hard.  There is no substitute for it if you want to succeed at something.”