John Kralik was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended the University of Michigan for college and law school. He practiced law for 30 years, and was a partner in the law firms of Hughes Hubbard & Reed, Miller Tokuyama Kralik & Sur, and Kralik & Jacobs. In 2009, he was appointed a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court. He lives in the Los Angeles area.

His book 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life was published in the USA by Hyperion Books in December 2013 and by Penguin Australia in 2013.