Mary Richardson-Lowry, who has served as corporation counsel for the city of Chicago, is retiring from her post.
Richardson-Lowry is the latest city official to depart the administration of Mayor Brandon Johnson, and the well-respected attorney’s legacy was celebrated by the mayor.
“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,” Johnson said.
According to the mayor’s office, Richardson-Lowry was the first Black woman to hold the position of corporation counsel for the city, serving as the top lawyer within Johnson’s administration.
“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,” she said. “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.”
In a press release, the city has announced Renee Hatcher will be appointed as Chicago’s new corporation counsel.
“Throughout my career, I have partnered with communities to use the law to build economic power, strengthen neighborhoods, and advance justice with working people,” she said in a statement. “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.”
She serves as a clinical professor and is the director of the Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic at UIC Law, according to the press release.
“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,” Johnson said. “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.”
Richardson-Lowry is the latest high-profile official to leave Johnson’s administration in recent months. Annette Guzman left her post as Johnson’s budget director in August, and the city’s Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski resigned in January. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo Ige resigned in May, and former Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood was fired in March.
Johnson has responded to criticisms of the turnover rate in his office by saying his administration remains committed to fulfilling its goals even as new personnel are put into place.
“One person does not run the operation around here, it’s a collection,” Johnson told reporters after Guzman’s departure. “And even after, you know, others have transitioned out, it has not stopped us from building the safest, most affordable big city in America.”
