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Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson Announces Appointment of Renee Hatcher as Corporation Counsel

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CHICAGO — Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Renee Hatcher will serve as the City of Chicago's Corporation Counsel. As the City's lead attorney, Hatcher will provide legal counsel and representation to the City's departments, boards, and the Chicago City Council.

"It's an honor to welcome Renee Hatcher to City Hall and to have someone with her deep commitment to community and justice join our administration," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Renee has spent her career standing alongside working people, building power in communities, and fighting to make sure every Chicagoan has a fair shot at opportunity. She comes from a family deeply rooted in the fight for civil rights and public service, and she has carried that legacy forward in her own way through a career dedicated to building stronger, more equitable communities. I'm proud to have her on our team, and I look forward to the work we'll do together to build a safer, more affordable city for every Chicagoan."

Hatcher brings extensive legal, academic, and community-based experience to the role. She currently is a clinical professor and Director of the Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic at UIC Law, where she provides legal support to community-based businesses, cooperatives, and organizations, with a focus on building more equitable local economies and healthy neighborhoods.

Her work has included organizing with and providing legal support to worker centers, cooperatives, grassroots organizations, and community-led development efforts. Under her leadership, the Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic has partnered with community organizations to draft and advance local and state legislation, supported social equity cannabis applicants, and served as a technical assistance provider for the Chicago Community Wealth Building Initiative.

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Hatcher previously served as Co-Director of the Chicago Community Wealth Building Ecosystem Initiative at UIC's Center on Urban Economic Development and as a member of the City of Chicago's Community Wealth Building Advisory Committee. She also served on Mayor Johnson's Transition Subcommittee on Economic Vitality and Equity.

Earlier in her career, she served as a staff attorney and project director at the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, where she provided legal services to entrepreneurs and community-based organizations and worked on community benefits agreements, regional equity matters, employment discrimination, and prisoners' rights cases.

"Throughout my career, I have partnered with communities to use the law to build economic power, strengthen neighborhoods, and advance justice with working people," said Renee Hatcher. "That work has been rooted in the communities I have had the privilege to stand alongside, and in the Chicagoans who have long fought, and continue to fight, for a more equitable city. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring my experience to the City of Chicago and to serve the residents of the city I call home. I look forward to working alongside the Mayor, the City's attorneys and staff, and communities across Chicago to help build a safer, more affordable, and more equitable city."

Hatcher is succeeding Mary Richardson-Lowry, who is retiring and has served as Corporation Counsel since 2023 and became the first Black woman to hold the position.

Over the past three and a half years, Richardson-Lowry has led a broad transformation of the Department of Law, focused on strengthening its workforce, modernizing operations, and bringing greater discipline to how the City manages legal and financial risk.  Under her leadership, the Department established its first formal risk management division, built a Mass Torts and Complex Litigation practice, restructured its federal civil rights work, strengthened oversight of outside counsel, and invested in technology and case management systems.

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"From the beginning, my goal was not simply to manage the challenge in front of us, but to leave the Department stronger and better equipped for the challenges that would come next," said Richardson-Lowry.  "We changed how we assess risk, how we manage complex litigation, and how we oversee taxpayer resources.  I'm proud of what our team has built, and I am grateful to Mayor Johnson for the opportunity to serve in this historic role.  I know Renee brings a deep commitment to Chicago communities, a wealth of legal experience, and a strong belief in the power of public service, and I wish her the very best."

"Mary has been a trusted partner and a key voice at my side throughout my tenure as Mayor," continued Mayor Johnson. "She has helped guide this administration through some of the most consequential legal challenges facing our city, while always bringing a deep commitment to public service and protecting the people of Chicago. I am deeply grateful for Mary's service, leadership, and partnership, and I wish her all the best in her next chapter."

Hatcher received her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her B.A. in Political Science from Indiana University Bloomington. She has taught law at UIC, the University of Baltimore School of Law, and guest lectured at Harvard Law School, and has published and presented on economic justice, community development law, cooperative law, human rights, and legal advocacy.

Mayor Johnson's appointment is subject to approval by the Chicago City Council.

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