User:JamesCCrowley

James Charles Crowley is an American lawyer best known for his role in the 2014 whistleblower lawsuit against Chicago State University, the first ever case stemming from a whistleblower claim filed under the Illinois State Official and Employees Ethics Act.

Background: Lawsuit

Crowley worked as the Senior Attorney and Associate Vice President at Chicago State University until he was fired for reporting misconduct by top university officials in 2010. Crowley went on to file a lawsuit against Chicago State University, former CSU President Wayne Watson, and seven board of trustee members involved with his firing at the time.

Crowley refused to withhold documents about Watson's employment regarding his possible violations of Illinois pension rules that had been requested under the Freedom of Information Act. After that, Crowley reported university contracts awarded to known Watson associates that violated the Illinois Procurement Code to the Illinois Attorney General's Office. Crowley was subsequently fired and escorted off campus by Illinois State Troopers.

A jury in 2014 returned a verdict in Crowley's favor in less than thirty minutes, ordering Chicago State to pay him more than $3 million in damages, including $480,000 in back pay, which the judge doubled, and $2 million in punitive damages, reinstatement of his job, along with attorney’s fees and interest.

In March 2017, Chicago State University was ordered to pay Crowley $4.3 million, ending the seven year legal battle for this groundbreaking whistleblower lawsuit.

Background: Life

Crowley was born in Chicago, IL on June 9, 1966. Crowley spent his early years living between Dayton, Nashville, and Boston.

Crowley received his Bachelor of Arts in Social and Behavioral Sciences from The Ohio State University and went on to receive his JD from the DePaul University College of Law. Crowley also received a Master's degree in writing from DePaul University.

Legal career

In 1993, Crowley began his legal career working for the Office of the Illinois Attorney General as Assistant Attorney General. In 1999, he began working at Clausen Miller P.C, before moving on to serve as the Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Operations and Senior Legal Counsel  at Chicago State University in 2000.

Since leaving Chicago State University in 2010, Crowley has held positions at Chicago law firms, Donovan & Watkins and Robert Half Legal.

Currently, he is admitted in the State Bar of Illinois; United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois; United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois; and Federal Trial Bar. Crowley is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS), Illinois College, and University Attorneys Group.

In addition to his legal career, Crowley also worked as an adjunct lecturer for Criminal Law 201,  served as the speechwriter for Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo, and is an Advisory Board Member of the DePaul University Law School Family Law Center.