John Erbes | SIU

An assistant clinical professor since 1996, John F. Erbes brings a varied practice background for his role as teacher, supervisor, and mentor to students enrolled in the Legal Clinic Elderly Program and in his classroom courses. John has twenty-one years of law practice and ten years of teaching experience. His practice areas have included general civil law, school law, local government law, administrative hearings, and criminal defense at the trial, appellate, and supreme court level as well as in the military courts. Prior to teaching in law school, John taught undergraduate law courses in the SIU Finance Department and College of Technical Careers.

Professor Erbes relishes the opportunity his position in legal education provides to expose students to the practice of law and help train them in the proper way to become competent, conscientious, and ethical lawyers, committed to serving clients and their communities.

John earned his law degree from Southern Illinois University in 1979 and has a B.A. with honors from Western Illinois University. He is admitted to practice law in Illinois, the Southern District of Illinois Federal Courts and Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

The scholarship interests of Professor Erbes include elder law, health law and clinical legal education. He regularly writes articles on senior and health issues and speaks frequently to senior audiences and groups interested in issues affecting older individuals. John is very active in state and national bar associations, serving the bar on committees and task forces and providing continuing education through his involvement in legal education programs and bar association newsletters. He is currently serving his second year as co-editor of the Illinois State Bar Association's Elder Law Section. On the local scene, John is active in numerous community groups and has served more than ten years on the Board of the Jackson County Health Department, the last five as president.