Lisa Madigan will discuss role of attorney general at Benedictine University event

Lisa Madigan, chief legal advisor and the first female attorney general in Illinois history, will visit Benedictine University to discuss the function of the office and several of her key initiatives at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 28 on the second floor of the Krasa Student Center.

Madigan was invited to speak at Benedictine – the fastest-growing university in the country – as part of the nonpartisan Center for Civic Leadership (CCL) speaker series. Established in 2005 under the direction of former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan, a 1969 Benedictine graduate and Distinguished Fellow, the CCL seeks to shape a new generation of public leaders and responsible citizens.

“Jim Ryan served as Illinois’ attorney general for several years and knows the legal importance of the role,” said Phil Hardy, assistant professor of Political Science and acting director of the CCL at Benedictine. “Lisa Madigan is a dynamic personality in Illinois politics and a respected public servant. We will want to hear her views on the importance of public service, her responsibilities as attorney general and what she sees as the most pressing issues for residents of Illinois.”

The public is invited to attend this free event, but seating will be limited. A question and answer session will follow her talk.

Madigan was first elected attorney general in 2002. She is currently serving her third term.

Madigan’s duties as attorney general include combating financial fraud and educating consumers on prevalent financial scams and product recalls. Her office sued some of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders and obtained more than $12 billion in damages and restitution for borrowers. She has also advanced legislation to protect homeowners by prohibiting abusive lending practices.

In 2003, Madigan created a statewide law enforcement team to improve the state’s obsolete sex offender registry. She has since proposed legislation to strengthen sex offender laws and helped Illinois become the first state in the nation with a law mandating the submission and testing of sexual assault evidence, a move gaining momentum from crime victim advocates nationwide. Madigan also oversees the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children task force, a collaboration of law enforcement agencies which tracks and arrests offenders who exploit children.

Madigan’s other priorities include advocating for a more open and accessible government, protecting senior citizens in nursing homes, and protecting Illinois’ air, water and land from pollution while developing new laws to promote investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon reduction technology.

Prior to her election as attorney general, Madigan served in the Illinois Senate and worked as a litigator for a Chicago law firm. Before she became an attorney, she was a teacher and community advocate, developing after-school programs to help keep kids away from drugs and gangs.

Madigan is the recipient of the 2005 John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award, an honor presented annually to an American elected official whose contributions in office demonstrate the impact and value of public service in the spirit of President Kennedy.
 
In 2006, she was one of 24 elected officials chosen to receive an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellowship, which recognizes the nation’s most outstanding young political leaders and is focused on the ethics and responsibilities of public leadership.

To learn about more upcoming speakers sponsored by the CCL, visit www.ben.edu/ccl.

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Benedictine University is an independent Roman Catholic institution located in Lisle, Illinois just 25 miles west of Chicago, and has branch campuses in Springfield, Illinois and Mesa, Arizona. Founded in 1887, Benedictine provides 55 undergraduate majors and 17 graduate and four doctoral programs. Benedictine University is ranked No. 1 among the country’s fastest-growing campuses between 2000-2010 in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s list of private nonprofit research institutions, and Forbes magazine named Benedictine among “America’s Top Colleges” for the third consecutive year in 2013. Benedictine University’s Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program is listed by Crain’s Chicago Business as the fifth largest in the Chicago area in 2013.