Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul brings a lifetime of legal experience and advocacy to the office. He launched his legal career as a Cook County prosecutor. Thereafter, he successively opened a boutique law practice, served as a higher education attorney for City Colleges of Chicago, and became a partner at two national corporate law firms.

In 2004, Raoul was appointed to replace Barack Obama in the Illinois State Senate representing the 13^th Legislative District (in Chicago), where he served for 14 years. As a state senator, Raoul chaired the Judiciary, Redistricting, and Pensions & Investments Committees. He was known for leading complex, bipartisan legislative negotiations on matters such as workers’ compensation reform, criminal justice reform, and pension reform. As chair of Pensions, Raoul championed initiatives that increased the inclusion of women and minority-owned asset managers and broker-dealers. He spearheaded efforts to pass legislation that enhanced resources and access to justice for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. Raoul was also instrumental in passing the Illinois Voting Rights Act and an amendment that enshrines the protection of voting rights in the Illinois Constitution.

In 2019, Raoul was sworn in as Illinois’ 42nd Attorney General. He took the oath to serve a second term in January 2023. As the state’s chief legal officer, AG Raoul has greatly enhanced his Crime Victims Services Division, which administers numerous programs and now offers improved services to a broader range of crime victims. He steadfastly fought to have the federal government acknowledge the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, AG Raoul’s legislative and litigation efforts have helped preserve access to quality reproductive healthcare in Illinois.

Attorney General Raoul frequently collaborates with other state AGs on a wide variety of issues to defend equitable access to healthcare, protect our natural resources, fight for just immigration policies, curb gun violence, and to uphold civil rights for all individuals. His office has been strategically diligent in combatting the Trump Administration’s attacks on equity, diversity, and inclusion, such as its demand for anti-DEI certifications (Title VI). AG Raoul also serves as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion chair of the Progressive State Leaders Committee, which advances innovative solutions to emerging legal and policy issues at state and federal levels.