About Joel J.H.
Joel J.H. Funk built his legal foundation at Valparaiso University, earning an MBA in 2007 before returning to the same campus to complete his J.D. in 2011. The combination of business training and legal education shaped his early approach to practice. He came out of law school prepared to work on matters that touch both corporate concerns and courtroom procedures.
After graduating in 2011, Funk pursued admission to practice in Illinois and in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Those admissions have allowed him to handle matters in both state and federal forums. He has made appearances and filed matters under the procedural rules that govern each jurisdiction.
Funk is a shareholder at Hart David Carson, LLP. In that role he shares responsibility for client work and for some firm decision-making. His position involves overseeing cases, counseling clients on dispute strategy, and coordinating with colleagues on litigation and transactional matters. Colleagues describe him as methodical in preparing matters for hearing and trial.
His day-to-day work sits at the intersection of courtroom practice and client counseling. He prepares pleadings, manages discovery, and handles motion practice in state and federal settings. He also participates in pretrial strategy sessions and negotiations. The work demands attention to procedural detail and readiness to shift between written advocacy and oral argument.
Funk maintains memberships in the DuPage County Bar Association, the Downers Grove Chamber of Commerce, and the Illinois State Bar Association. Those memberships keep him connected to the legal community and to local business leaders. He attends local bar events and engages in professional programming that addresses changes in court rules and case law.
Clients and colleagues turn to Funk for steady handling of litigation matters in the Illinois courts. He combines his business background and courtroom experience when advising on case posture and potential resolution paths. He practices at Hart David Carson, LLP, where he concentrates on litigating matters in Illinois state and federal courts.
