Mr. Knapp was graduated from the Southern Illinois University School of Law in 1985, where he received the Hiram H. Lesar Scholarship for academic excellence. He was a member of the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Team at SIU, and served as captain in 1985, when he led the team to first place in its regional competition and third place in the national competition. He was later inducted into the Order of Barristers, an honor society for appellate advocacy, having been nominated for induction by the SIU School of Law faculty. He obtained his B.A. degree from Graceland College where he was graduated cum laude in 1982.
Mr. Knapp has tried many jury and non-jury cases to verdict in various Illinois state and federal courts, and has represented clients in the Illinois Court of Claims, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and in various arbitration and mediation matters. He is admitted to practice in the states of Illinois and Missouri, the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Central Districts of Illinois, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Knapp is a member of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, and served as the co-chairperson of the Practices and Procedures Committee for that organization from 1998 to 2002. He was appointed by the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois to serve on the Court's Local Rules Committee. He has lectured for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the Illinois State Bar Association on various topics related to civil trial practice, and is the author of articles in various professional journals. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Madison County Bar Association.
