College of Law > Alumni > Alumni Impact > Notable Law Alumni

Notable Law Alumni

​​​​​​​​From courtrooms to boardrooms to Capitol Hill, DePaul Law alumni are leading change. They’ve argued before the nation’s highest courts, run billion-dollar companies, shaped public policy and redefined justice in their communities. 

This curated list celebrates graduates whose careers reflect the power of a DePaul Law education—and the impact of a legal community built to lead, serve and inspire. ​

The Honorable William J. Bauer (JD ’52, LLD ​​’93, LLD ’05) 
Former Senior Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; Life Trustee, DePaul University 
​The Honorable William Hibbler (JD ‘73) 
Former Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 

​The Honorable Michael A. Bilandic (JD ’48) 
Former Chief Justice, Illinois Supreme Court; Former Mayor, City of Chicago 
​Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks (JD ’48, DHL ’77) 
Former Executive Director, NAACP 

​The Honorable Bernard Carey (JD ’58) 
Former Cook County State’s Attorney, Cook County, Illinois 
​Michael Jaharis (JD ’58) 
Founder & Former Chairman, Kos Pharmaceuticals 

​Frank Clark (BUS ’72, JD ’76, LLD ’04) 
Former Chairman & CEO, ComEd; Life Trustee, DePaul University 
​Timothy P. Knight (JD ’90) 
President & CEO, Robert McCormick Foundation; Former CEO, Tribune Publishing Company
​Robert A. Clifford (BUS ’73, JD ’76, LLD ’03) 
Founder & Senior Partner, Clifford Law Offices; Life Trustee, DePaul University 
​The Honorable Charles P. Kocoras (BUS ’61, JD ’69) 
Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 
The Honorable John Powers Crowley (JD ’60) 
Former Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 
​Andrew McKenna, Sr. (JD ‘54) 
Former Chairman, McDonald’s Corporation 

​Stephen V. D’Amore (JD ’94) 
Chairman, Winston & Strawn LLP; Member, DePaul University Board of Trustees 
​Carla Michelotti (LAS ’72, JD ’75, DHL ’08) 
Former Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide; Member, DePaul University Board of Trustees 
​The Honorable Richard J. Daley (LLB ’33) 
Former Mayor, City of Chicago 
​Sharone R. Mitchell, Jr. (JD ’09) 
Cook County Public Defender, Cook County, Illinois 

​The Honorable Richard M. Daley (LAS ’65, JD ’68, LLD ’90) 
Former Mayor, City of Chicago 
​Donald L. Mrozek (JD ’73) 
Former Chairman, Hinshaw & Culbertson 
 
​Justin Dearborn (JD ’94) 
Former CEO, Tribune Publishing Company 
​Natalye Paquin (JD ’86) 
COO, The Rockefeller Foundation 
​Mary A. Dempsey (JD ’82) 
President, DePaul College Prep; Former Commissioner, Chicago Public Library; Life Trustee, DePaul University 
​The Honorable Edwin Robson (JD ‘28) 
Former Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 

 

​The Honorable Kirk Dillard (JD ’82) 
Chairman, Regional Transportation Authority; Partner, Troutman Pepper Locke LLP; Former Illinois State Senator 
​Larry R. Rogers, Sr. (JD ’83, DHL ’09) 
Founding Partner, Power Rogers LLP; Life Trustee, DePaul University 

​The Honorable Brian Barnett Duff (JD ‘62) 
Former Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 
​Richard Rosenfield (LLB ’69) 
Co-Founder, California Pizza Kitchen 

​The Honorable Thomas M. Durkin (JD ’78, DHL ’14) 
Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 
​Samuel K. Skinner (JD ’66, LLD ’90, DHL ’06) 
Former Chief of Staff, White House; Former Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation ​
​Chaz Ebert (JD ’77) 
CEO & Publisher, Ebert Digital (RogerEbert.com) 
​The Honorable John J. Stamos (JD ’48) 
Former Cook County State’s Attorney, Cook County, Illinois 
​The Honorable Ann Gillespie (JD ’84) 
Director, Illinois Department of Insurance; Former Illinois State Senator 
​The Honorable Juliana Stratton (JD ’92) 
Lieutenant Governor, State of Illinois 

Jack M. Greenberg (BUS ’64, JD ’68, DHL ’99) 
Former Chairman & CEO, McDonald’s Corporation; Life Trustee, DePaul University 
​The Honorable Franklin U. Valderrama (JD ’88) 
Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 
​​The Honorable Jonathan E. Hawley (JD ’97) 
Judge, U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois 
​Daniel P. Ward, Esq. (JD ’41, DHL ’76) 
Former Chief Justice, Illinois Supreme Court; Former Cook County State’s Attorney, Cook County, Illinois 

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