In Good Hands: Riley Oncken, J.D. '04, Elected as DeKalb County State's Attorney
By Lia Kizilbash Gillet
Riley Oncken, J.D. '04, DeKalb County state's attorney and proud Huskie (Photo: Riley Oncken)
Riley Oncken, J.D. ’04, embraced DeKalb County in 2001 to attend NIU and never left. He developed a deep connection with the community, guided by his faith, family, and focus, and he considers himself blessed.
Recently, Oncken was elected as the DeKalb County state’s attorney, a position he was sworn in to on December 2, 2024.
“It is an exciting challenge,” Oncken said of his new role. “After being in private practice for most of my legal career, taking on this position is exciting but also scary. Each day brings new and different issues and challenges. The first month started with me drinking from the proverbial ‘fire hose.’ Now, things are getting a little easier, and I am starting to understand better how I can support the attorneys and staff in doing their jobs well. I am thankful I entered a healthy office with great people and culture. It is easier to lead well when there is a solid foundation.”
Oncken may still be establishing himself in his new role, but his strong desire to serve and supportive family set him up for success.
“I didn’t grow up wanting to be an attorney,” Oncken shared. “I attended law school at NIU intending to go into federal law enforcement after I graduated. However, I realized that I could make a difference in people’s lives in our community by being a lawyer. It may sound cheesy, but those who know me well know I am sincere when I say, ‘My favorite thing about being an attorney is the opportunity to help and serve people.’ It gives my life a sense of purpose that I don’t know I would have experienced in any other career.”
(Photo: Riley Oncken)
Oncken says he is blessed to have an incredibly supportive wife, Heather, and kids, Mia, Quinn, Hattie, and Rowan.
“I would not have had the success that I had in private business and now as an elected official without my family’s support, encouragement and understanding,” he said. “As an attorney in private practice, it was not unusual for me to work until 11:00 p.m. a few times a month, and my wife and kids understood that was what I needed to do to help my clients and take care of our family financially. Having a supportive spouse who manages our household well and ensures that our home is where I can return to and relax makes the long hours and stressful days bearable.”
The past year of campaigning was tough for Oncken and his family, but knowing that there was an end in sight made putting in the hard work toward winning the election an achievable goal.
“My wife and I have had a saying since our twins were born, ‘It’s not forever, it’s just for now,’” Oncken said. “I am also a Christian, and I do my best to love God and people and try to do the next right thing. I have strong morals and a strong work ethic. If I keep a healthy perspective and focus on those priorities, I find that I have more success and less stress. When I veer off those priorities, things tend not to go as well.”
Oncken’s strong work ethic is what carried him through college. After graduating from West Aurora High School in 1997, he studied law enforcement and justice administration at Western Illinois University. He worked as an intern for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Customs Service, which gave him insight into law and policy making, law enforcement, and, ultimately, the prosecution of offenders. The wide range of internship experiences helped him to be better prepared for the NIU College of Law despite feeling the shock of the rigor of law school.
Riley Oncken was sworn in as DeKalb County state's attorney on December 2, 2024. (Photo: Christina Lamphere)“When I graduated from Western Illinois University, I was confident that I was among the smartest students, and my grades reflected that,” Oncken said. “I finished my coursework with a double major in three and a half years and spent my final semester interning for U.S. Customs Internal Affairs. I thought law school would be easy, but I didn’t realize and should have known that most of my classmates were also all at the top of their respective classes. That revelation was like whiplash the first semester when I did not do as well and when the content was more challenging than anything else I had learned in my academic career—except for maybe honors physics.”
Now, as a proud NIU alumnus, Oncken fondly recalls his days at the NIU College of Law as “the best time that I never want to have to go through again.”
“During law school, my classmates and I worked hard and played hard, and I have had the pleasure of practicing regularly with many of my classmates from NIU over the last 20 years,” he said. “I am thankful that NIU gave me a great legal education without saddling me with overwhelming debt. I am grateful to be able to give back to DeKalb County and the NIU community as DeKalb County's next State's Attorney.”
Oncken previously served for several years on the NIU Alumni Council and recently attended the College of Law's 50th Anniversary Gala to celebrate fifty years of success in creating high-quality attorneys and judges.
“I am a proud Huskie and enjoy playing in the annual NIU College of Law Golf Outing,” Oncken said. “I believe that I can claim that my foursome has won it more times than any other group since the outing began. It helps that I always bring much better golfers than me. I learned long ago that if you want to be successful, surround yourself with people who are better than you, and you will learn and get better.”