About Stephanie
Stephanie Kemen took a direct route into the courtroom. She earned her J.D. from the University of Illinois 6Chicago John Marshall Law School in 2009 after completing a B.A. at the University of Minnesota 6Twin Cities in 2005. The sequence of degrees set a clear path: law school, courtrooms and then private practice.
Her early experience included a 711 clerkship in 2008 at the Cook County State's Lawyer's Office. That stint placed her inside a busy public office at a formative moment in her training. After earning her law degree, she entered private practice. In 2009 she worked at the Law Office Of William P. Murphy and also opened the Law Office of Stephanie Kemen that same year. The next year she joined the Law Offices of Michael D. Krejci as an associate, expanding her courtroom work and client contact.
Kemen began operating under the Driver Defense Team name in 2016. The move signaled a shift toward a small-firm environment where she could handle cases end to end and develop a practice identity. She maintains membership in a number of professional organizations. She has been a member of the Federal Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois since 2014 and of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois since 2012. She also belongs to the Cook County Bar Association and the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Her membership in the State Bar of Wisconsin dates to 2010.
Those affiliations reflect the kinds of matters she handles. Her practice centers on criminal defense and matters that touch on driving-related offenses. The firm name signals a steady stream of traffic and driver-defense work, and her bar and trial court memberships support litigation in federal and state venues. Colleagues and clients see a lawyer comfortable in court. She has experience across public and private roles, from clerkship to associate work to firm owner.
Kemens career is built on courtroom experience and a steady progression from clerking to solo practice to firm leadership. She runs Driver Defense Team out of offices that serve Illinois clients and remains active in local and federal legal circles. She now leads Driver Defense Team, where she represents clients in Illinois on criminal and traffic matters.
