Kwame Raoul Receives Award for Contributions to Improving Criminal Justice
The law firm of Miller Canfield announces that Kwame Raoul, of counsel in the firm’s Chicago office and Illinois State Senator, was recognized on December 15 by The Center on Wrongful Convictions of Northwestern University School of Law for his contributions to improving criminal justice.
Senator Raoul has championed criminal justice reform legislation, including the abolition of the death penalty, creation of the Torture Inquiry Commission and Adult Redeploy Illinois.
He has extensive experience in labor and employment law, litigation and higher education.
Senator Raoul was appointed in 2004 to fill the vacancy of U.S. Senator Barack Obama and since then, has successfully advanced legislation promoting pension reform, economic development, domestic violence prevention and political reform. He currently serves as chairman of the Senate Pensions and Investment Committee and Senate Committee on Redistricting and as vice-chairman of the Senate Criminal Law Committee and on the Judiciary Telecommunications and Consumer Protection Committees.
Senator Raoul has offered pro bono legal services in his district. He has served on the Joint Committee on Reform at the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and Cook County Bar Association Board of Directors. He is a member of the American Bar Association and Illinois Bar Association.
He earned his J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law and B.A. from DePaul University.