Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford
Tuesday, Aug 20, 2024
Event begins at 3:30 PM
Location
The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant
1401 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605
Map and directions
Speakers
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, born in Chicago to Haitian immigrants, brings a lifetime of legal experience and advocacy to the office. Attorney General Raoul launched his legal career as a Cook County prosecutor. Thereafter, he successively opened a general law practice, served as a higher education attorney for City Colleges of Chicago, and became a partner at two national corporate law firms.
In 2019, Raoul was sworn in as Illinois’ 42nd Attorney General. He took the oath to serve a second term as the state’s chief legal officer in January 2023. His office works to prevent consumer fraud, contend with crime and corruption, safeguard children, preserve the environment, defend the rights of individuals, and ultimately protect the interests of the State of Illinois and its residents.
Attorney General Raoul has combatted the scourge of gun violence in Illinois by prosecuting gun trafficking cases, developing a crime-gun-tracing database, defending the assault weapons ban, and successfully advancing legislation to hold accountable bad actors in the gun industry. Moreover, his office routinely trains law enforcement entities and constituents on the Illinois Firearms Restraining Order Act, conducts threat assessment trainings on targeted violence, and fights to enact and uphold legislation that promotes community safety.
Equally unceasing has been Attorney General Raoul’s advocacy of policies that protect and provide for survivors of gun violence. His office administers numerous programs on behalf of survivors, such as the Crime Victims Compensation Program and the Violent Crime Victims Assistance Grant.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford
Attorney General Aaron D. Ford, Nevada’s 34th Attorney General, took office on January 7, 2019, making him the first African American to hold statewide constitutional office in Nevada.
A former State Senator, AG Ford previously served as both the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader in the Nevada State Legislature and held leadership roles on several legislative committees. He also spent many years in private practice as a partner at both Snell & Wilmer LLP and Eglet Adams in Las Vegas. Before practicing law, AG Ford served as a public school math teacher, shaping hundreds of lives.
During his term as a State Senator, AG Ford led the passage of significant legislation that required police officers to wear body cameras. AG Ford was also the impetus for a local district attorney to create a “Conviction Integrity Unit” to review cases that allege wrongful conviction.
As the chief law enforcement officer for the state, AG Ford’s goal continues to be helping to protect Nevada families. AG Ford believes there is no task greater than the pursuit of justice and has adopted the office motto of “Our Job is Justice.” His priority areas include what he refers to as the “Five Cs”: constitutional rights, criminal justice reform, consumer protection, client service, and community engagement. AG Ford has held several town hall forums to talk directly with Nevadans on relevant topics such as racial injustice, law enforcement policies, hate crimes, and identity theft.
Under his direction, AG Ford’s office has made protecting consumers from fraud, scams, and anti-competitive activity a top priority. During his tenure in office, AG Ford’s Bureau of Consumer Protection secured over $85 million in recoveries on behalf of Nevada consumers. Consistent with his commitment to help Nevada families, AG Ford has aggressively pursued those responsible for fueling Nevada’s opioid crisis. He is proud to have obtained over 1.1 billion for the mitigation of the opioid crisis in Nevada.
AG Ford always strives to help those around him, particularly our most vulnerable communities. He has held two statewide law enforcement summits with local and national experts to fight human trafficking; he helps lead Nevada’s sexual assault kit initiative and is proud to have completed the State’s initiative to test nearly 8,000 previously untested sexual assault kits; and he worked with his prosecutors to revive a cold case and bring justice for a Nevada mother who lost her daughter to a brutal murder more than 40 years ago.
AG Ford is proud to have earned five degrees, which include his law degree and Ph.D. in Educational Administration from The Ohio State University, as well as degrees in interdisciplinary studies, international education, and educational administration. AG Ford married his college sweetheart, Berna Rhodes-Ford, who is also an attorney. Together, they raised four children, Avery, Devin, Aaron II, and Alexander.
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Proceeds from this event will directly support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s vital work funding lifesaving blood cancer research to find a cure and improve the quality of life of patients and their families
Mayor Brandon Johnson, Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo (Simbo) Ige, Dr. Edwin McDonald IV, Tawa Mitchell and Adrian Talbott
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Doors Open at 11:30 am / Event Begins at 12:00 pm
City Club of Chicago event tickets are non-refundable. Tickets are transferrable.
Our venues are wheelchair accessible. To request any other accessibility, please contact Amanda Agosti at aagosti@cityclub-chicago.org