Judge Jonathan E. Hawley
Confirmed
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois.
On July 3, 2024, President Biden nominated Judge Jonathan Hawley to the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Hawley currently serves as a United States Magistrate Judge on the Central District. Before joining the bench, Hawley spent an impressive 15 years working as a federal public defender.
Biography
Hawley is a lifelong Illinoisan who was born in Peoria in 1971. He earned his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1992 and his J.D., cum laude, from DePaul University College of Law in 1997. He also attended the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary from 1992-1993, as well as the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1993.
In law school, Hawley earned a number of prestigious awards. He graduated Order of the Coif and received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Federal Courts, State Constitutional Law, and Contracts.
Legal Experience
After graduating from law school, Hawley clerked for Judge Michael P. McCuskey of the Illinois Third District Appellate Court. Judge McCuskey was then elevated to the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, and Hawley continued his clerkship with McCuskey at the district court level. He then went on to clerk for Judge Hames D. Heiple of the Illinois Supreme Court.
Following these prestigious clerkships, Hawley joined the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. He started as a Research and Writing Specialist and was then elevated first to Assistant Federal Public Defender, then to Appellate Division Chief, then to First Assistant Public Defender, then to Acting Federal Public Defender, and finally to Chief Federal Public Defender. Hawley’s steady elevation through the ranks of the public defender’s office testifies to his dedication to ensuring that everyone can access high-quality legal representation. In total, Hawley served the Federal Public Defender’s Office for 15 years.
The following cases are representative of Hawley’s public defense career: