About Monica
Monica Hawkins trained first as a scientist before turning to law. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Indiana University–Bloomington in 1989 and stayed in academia long enough to complete an M.S. in Physiology at Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis in 1993. She then shifted into legal studies and received her J.D. from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1994.
After law school she established a practice in Illinois and has maintained her license there. Her early years in the profession combined courtroom work and client counseling. Over time she took on more administrative responsibilities inside her firm and more complex matters in court.
Her record includes a leadership role at Hawkins & Root P.C., where she served as president in 2003. In that position she handled both internal firm management and external legal matters. Colleagues from that period describe a lawyer who moved comfortably between case strategy and running day-to-day operations.
Hawkins has been a member of the Illinois State Bar Association since 1997 and joined the Decatur Bar Association that same year. Those memberships reflect a long-standing participation in the state and local bar communities. She has kept ties to local legal networks while maintaining a private practice.
Her scientific training informs the way she approaches cases. A background in biology and physiology can prove useful when technical or medical questions arise. She applies that analytic habit of mind to evidence review and to explaining complex matters to juries and clients.
In practice she has handled a range of matters typical for a regional civil practitioner, combining courtroom experience with client advising. Her work spans litigation tasks and the procedural demands of state court practice. She works in Illinois and has built a career largely centered on representing individuals and organizations in that jurisdiction.
Now in practice, she continues to represent clients in Illinois courts and concentrates on civil matters and client representation in the state.
