Daniel R. Hernandez

Daniel R. Hernandez is a Founder and Principal Attorney at NextLevel Law, P.C. As an advocate and legal counsel, Daniel assists families going through divorce, child custody and support, and DCFS proceedings. His experience is wide-ranging. Daniel has advocated on behalf of mothers, fathers, and even grandparents. Daniel is regularly appointed by Circuit Court judges to advocate on behalf of children as Guardian Ad Litem and Child Representative. Daniel also assists homebuyers and sellers through real estate transactions, bringing parties together to ensure a smooth transition and closing process.

In addition to Daniel’s legal practice, Daniel has a passion for assisting the LGBT and Latino communities by volunteering his time to different nonprofit and membership associations. Daniel is the Chair of the LGBT Committee at the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois. He also serves as the Memebership Chair of the LGBT Division at the Hispanic National Bar Association. Daniel is a member of the American Bar Association and served as Vice-Chair on the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee of the Young Lawyers Division. Daniel has written multiple publications and continuously follows issues effecting LGBT Latinos. In 2018, he co-chaired the HNBA LGBT Division’s Annual LGBT Summit, bringing together panelist from across the nation to discuss issues effecting the LGBT Community and forming a plan of action.

Daniel serves as the Vice-President of the Board of Directors at Between Friends, a Chicago nonprofit agency that provides free social services to survivors of Domestic Violence while also educating our youth on domestic violence prevention education. Daniel’s passion, determination, and hard work is recognized by his peers and the overall community. In 2016, he received the Favorite `Adjunct Professor Award by UIC John Marshall Law School Student Bar Association. He is also a recipient of the Windy City Times as a 30 under 30 Award (2018); Rising Star by Super Lawyers (2019; 2020); Negocios Now Latinos 40 under 40 (2019); Young Lawyer of the Year by HLAI (2019); and BEQ Pride Magazine 40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40. On his spare time, Daniel enjoys spending time with family, exercising, and participating in intermural sports.