The History of the McGlynn Family Law Practice
The First Generation
Daniel Francis McGlynn Sr. (1864-1930)
Daniel Francis McGlynn was the patriarch of this legal family. Born in 1864, he was the son of James McGlynn “the Scholar,” a man of learning who spoke Latin, Gaelic, and English. James left Ireland during the Great Famine and settled in Nilwood, Illinois.
Daniel settled in East St. Louis during the era of railroads and commerce, working by day as a railroad clerk and studying law by night. Upon completion of his legal education in 1896, he founded the first McGlynn law office in East St. Louis, soon to be recognized by the community leaders as an outstanding attorney. Daniel served as the City Attorney for East St. Louis, Illinois, from 1898 to 1904, as well as the attorney for the East Side Levee District and the East St. Louis Park District. He was elected president of the East St. Louis Bar Association in 1929, and a state legal journal that year named him the "Outstanding Corporate Attorney of Southern Illinois." His clients included St. Louis National Stockyards, Morris and Company Packers, East St. Louis Railway Company, Hartford Insurance Company, and Steam Fitters Local 439.
Dan also received the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a lay person in the Catholic Church when he was designated a Knight of St. Gregory in June of 1921, following a personal audience with Pope Pius XV. )
The Second Generation
Daniel McGlynn’s three sons, Joseph, Robert, and Daniel Jr., joined the family law practice, ushering in the second generation of the McGlynn attorneys.
Joseph Bernard McGlynn Sr. (1891-1953)
Joseph McGlynn received his law degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1912. After serving in the military during World War I, including a tour of duty in France, Joseph returned home to East St. Louis to take his place beside his father in the family law firm.
Joe was widely recognized as an outstanding trial lawyer. He acted as special counsel for the City of East St. Louis in the construction of the Veterans Bridge (now known as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge), which spans the Mississippi River between East St. Louis, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri. Other clients included the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen and St. Louis National City Stockyards.
Daniel Francis McGlynn Jr. (1895-1963)
Dan, like his older brother, received his undergraduate and legal degrees from the University of Notre Dame, then served in the United States Army during World War I, enlisting in 1917. Dan was admitted to practice law before the Illinois Supreme court in 1919. During his legal career, he acted as corporate counsel for East St. Louis, as Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois, and as an attorney for the East St. Louis Park District. He was instrumental in the formation of the Bank of Belleville and the Cahokia Downs Race Track. His clients included Monsanto Chemical Company, St. Louis National Stockyards, Keeley Brothers Contracting Company, Transit Casualty Company, and the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen.
Robert Emmett McGlynn Sr. (1897-1940)
Robert also studied at the University of Notre Dame, attending its high school, School of Architecture, School of Arts & Letters, and ultimately its School of Law. He obtained his law degree in 1923 and then joined his father and brothers in the family practice.
Rob was well-known for his wit, his friendship, and his passion for aviation. He completed pilot's training at Parks College, and he and his brother Joe formed Fleet Air Lines, the first commercial airline in the area. Tragedy struck in 1940, however, when Rob was killed in an automobile accident at the age of 43.
Generations Three, Four, and Five
The McGlynn Family legacy of attorneys continues uninterrupted. Joseph B. McGlynn, Sr., father of seven children, had two sons become attorneys, with Joseph Jr. entering the family business, where he remains active today. Robert’s sons Robert Jr. and James also joined the family law firm upon completion of their studies.
Six of Daniel McGlynn’s great-grandchildren, including Mo McGlynn, currently practice law, as do two of his great-great-grandchildren.
The family continues to take pride in hard work, integrity, and community involvement.