Joseph A. Kearney

Associate University Counsel

Joe joined the Office of University Counsel in 2024, where he provides counsel on a wide range of issues. He comes to the office most immediately from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), where he served as Special Advisor and Chief of Staff to the Chancellor under two administrations.  Prior to that, Joe served as Assistant Dean at UIC Law, and as the senior administrator at The John Marshall Law School (JMLS) charged by the Dean with coordinating the law school’s combination with the University of Illinois System and UIC. Over the past two decades, Joe has additionally held other positions in higher education, the public sector, and the private practice of law. He earned a J.D. from JMLS, an M.S. in Public Service Management from DePaul University, and a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Joe can be reached via email at kearney@uillinois.edu, or by phone at (217) 300-9701.