About Melissa Fernandez
Melissa Fernandez (Marin) built her legal foundations at DePaul. She earned a B.A. in English with a minor in political science in 2015, then stayed in Chicago for law school, receiving her J.D. from DePaul College of Law in 2019. She also completed a Certificate in Family Law while at DePaul, a credential that has shaped much of her early practice.
Her time in law school included placements that exposed her to both courtroom procedure and client advocacy. In 2018 she served as a judicial extern for the Circuit Court of Cook County. That same year she clerked at The Law Offices of Jonathan Merel, P.C., helping prepare filings and research for family law matters. Earlier, in 2017, she worked as a law clerk for the Legal Aid Society Metropolitan Family Services, where she assisted on cases affecting low-income clients.
After graduation Fernandez moved into private practice. In 2019 she held associate roles at Kollias & Giese, P.C. and McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp, P.C. Those positions involved drafting pleadings, supporting trial preparation, and counseling clients through family law disputes. Through these years she handled both contested and uncontested matters and gained regular courtroom experience.
Her career took another step in 2024 when she joined Antoniolli, Cerny & Winthers, P.C. as a lawyer. At the firm she continues to work on family law cases, drawing on her academic background and earlier hands-on work at legal aid and in clerkships. Colleagues describe her as steady in court and thorough in preparation.
Fernandez participates in local professional life. Since 2020 she has been a member of the DuPage County Bar Association Wellness Committee, a role that has involved supporting programs aimed at lawyer well-being. She also maintains other professional memberships.
Clients and peers say her courtroom experience and her time at legal aid have given her a particular fluency with the practical issues that come up in family court: schedules, parenting plans, support calculations and procedural deadlines. She tends to handle case preparation personally, often appearing at hearings and status conferences.
Outside the office she remains connected to the communities she serves in the Chicago area. Her career path — from legal aid through judicial externship to private firm practice — has provided a range of perspectives she applies to each matter.
She currently practices family law at Antoniolli, Cerny & Winthers, P.C.
