James Neppl Owner of the Neppl Law Firm in Rock Island.  Neppl began losing his sight when he was 26. "I went blind at age 38," he said. He has an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, a disease that gradually leads to blindness. Despite that, he has had many accomplishments throughout his life. He is a former banker, prosecutor and public defender. He was a three-time member of the USA Paralympics team. "I held the world record for shot for 16 years, between 1980 - 1996. He also came in second in the world power lifting championship in 1988.

Neppl also has a farm background. "I grew up on a farm near Fonda, Iowa," he said.

Along with his successful practice he is able to communicate in Spanish, German, Russian, French, and Italian

1964                 Loras College                                        Dubuque, Iowa

n     Major: B.A. Economics

n     Minors: Philosophy, History

1967                 University of Iowa College of Law        Iowa City, Iowa

n     Jurisdoctorate

1969                 Northern Illinois University                     DeKalb, Illinois

n     Graduate Degree - Business Administration

1967 - 1969       National Bank & Trust Company       Sycamore, Illinois

Trust Officer

1969 - 1973       Rock Island County Court House      Rock Island, Illinois

Assistant State Attorney

1973 - 1989       Braud/Warner Ltd.                              Rock Island, Illinois

Partner

§         Domestic Relations, Probate and Bankruptcy Law

1989 - 1993       Ruud, Scovil, Neppl and Marsh         Rock Island, Illinois

Partner

§         Domestic Law

1993 - 1998       Anderson and Nelson                         Rock Island, Illinois

Partner

§         Domestic Relations, Probate and Bankruptcy Law

1998 - Present    The Neppl Law Firm.                         Rock Island, Illinois

Senior Partner

§         Domestic Relations, Probate and Bankruptcy Law

Rock Island County Bar Association

Illinois Bar Association

Iowa Bar Association

Greater Rock Island Noon Lions Club

American Blind Lawyer Association

Western Illinois Association of the Illinois Council for the Blind

Quad Cities Blind Sports Development

Illinois Association of Blind Athletes

United States Association for Blind Athletes

International Blind Sports Association

German, French, Spanish, Russian, Italian

Participant in State and National Blind Sports Competition since 1979

Member of the 1979 Goal Ball Europe All Star Team

Participant in the 1980 Handicap Paralympics, Arnhem Holland

Participant in the 1984 Paralympics, Nassau County New York

1980 Gold Medal winner in shot put and Silver Medal winner in goal ball

1984 Gold Medal winner in shot put and Gold Ball team and winner of Gold Medal in world cup competition, Indianapolis Indiana

1988 USA Paralympics Team winner Gold Medal shot put, Silver in goal ball, Seoul Korea

President Greater Rock Island Noons Lions Club, 1983

President Quad Cities Blind Sport Development Foundation, 1981 - 1988

Vice-President United States Association for Blind Athletes, 1988 - present

Member of the American Blind Lawyer Association, 1981

Member of the Board of Directors of the American Blind Lawyers Association, 1988 - 1992

North American Delegate to the International Blind Sports Association, Executive Committee, 1989 - present

North and South American Delegate to the International Paralympics Committee, 1990 - present

Present Member of Board of Directors of the Atlanta Paralympics Committee

Present member of Goal Ball Rules technical Committee of the United States Association of Blind Athletes

Past member of the International Blind Sports Association Executive Committee