|
 Many may recognize Hoblit as the attorney of
record for the city of Lincoln. Hoblit assumed that position with
the city in November of last year, and since then has been looking
to get his local office established. He currently has two offices,
one in Clinton where he has been for the last few years, and now the
second office in Lincoln that he actually moved into earlier this
summer.
Others may recognize Hoblit as a member of the Hoblit family from
Atlanta. John was raised in rural Atlanta, the son of Alex and Mary
Hoblit. He attended Atlanta Grade School and also Carroll Catholic
School in Lincoln. He finished his high school education at Central
Catholic in Bloomington, then attended Lincoln College and for a
time lived in Lincoln.
At Lincoln College he studied music and said he liked the experience
and made a lot of good friends.
After Lincoln College, Hoblit transferred to the University of
Illinois for his undergraduate studies. He then returned home to
Atlanta and the family farm, where he worked for dad Alex for about
three years.
Hoblit said that while he was attending the University of Illinois
be got a taste of the legal profession. Several of his fraternity
brothers were studying law and it peaked Hoblit’s interest. He said
they all talked a lot about their studies and that it peaked his
interest.
After returning home, he continued to consider law as an option.
When he told his folks that it was his desire to return to school
and acquire his law degree, they were quite supportive. Hoblit said
what was funny about all of it, was that it was then that he learned
that his father had also considered law. “Apparently, my family
always wanted a lawyer in the family and they wanted my father to be
a lawyer. He never went that route. When I wanted to do it, he felt
like it was a continuation of what should have would have.”
Hoblit enrolled at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and
studied law. When he was finished and had passed his bar, he hung
out his shingle as a private practice attorney.
Hoblit said that for a young attorney to start out in a private
practice is rare, but for him it seemed like the only real way to do
it.
Hoblit said while in law school he had done internships with the
general council office for the governor and a second internship with
the State’s Attorney’s Office in DeWitt County.
After graduation, he returned home to the farm again, and began
looking for his ideal location. As it happened there was an attorney
in Clinton with office space available that Hoblit was acquainted
with through is DeWitt County Internship. Hoblit reached out to that
attorney and the deal was done in no time at all. Hoblit said that
as a result, he came home from school, helped with harvest, and then
in November of 2011 started his new practice in Clinton.
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Hoblit said that for the most part, he began
practicing criminal law, but in recent years he has had to veer away
from that particular area of representation. He explained that he
was now working with the DeWitt States Attorney again and so he went
from defending in criminal law to prosecuting. He also practiced law
for a period of time in Bloomington but has now closed that office.
Since hanging out his shield he has continually grown his client
list in Lincoln, and even before considering the city attorney
position was spending time in the Logan County Courts. Now that he
has begun working with the city of Lincoln, his scope of
representation is changing again. He finds he is doing a lot of
municipal law with the city, and in his private practice he is
careful to offer representation that will not be a conflict with his
role with the city. The end result, he is doing quite a bit of
estate law, bankruptcy and family work.
Hoblit said of coming back to Logan County for his practice, it is
“where I belong.” He said that over the years, seasoned attorneys
have told him that it is best to practice law where you are known
and where you are familiar. He said that where an attorney goes with
his career is very much dependent upon word of mouth. Being local,
knowing the community and its people and building strong
relationships in the community are vital to the success of an
attorney, particularly in these smaller communities where Hoblit has
been practicing.
Hoblit is still splitting his time between Lincoln and Clinton and
imagines that he will continue to do so for at least the time being.
His Lincoln office is open on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. He can be reached at
217-605-0030 and said that phone number is tied to both offices so
he can be reached regardless of what town he is in.
He also has a familiar face running his Lincoln office, Hoblit’s mom
Mary is the friendly face everyone meets as they come into the
office.
Bringing the office to Lincoln and spending more and more time here
is a homecoming for Hoblit that he is happy to celebrate with the
community. He is hopeful that the community will come out on
September 6th and join him in his ribbon cut. Plan to stay afterward
for a bite to eat and a chance to visit one-on-one with John, Mary
and no doubt other family members as well.
[Nila Smith] |
