Suite 3400
Chicago IL 60606
TEL: 312.786.6560
FAX: 312.986.9192
Practice Areas
Education
- J.D., magna cum laude, University of Illinois College of Law, 1997
- B.A., cum laude, Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), 1994 (history, political science)
Bar & Court Admissions
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois
Brian P. Crowley
Brian has significant experience assisting school districts in all of their business dealings and transactions including contracting needs, real estate, leasing and finance matters. Brian is a “go-to source” in the firm on matters relating to the Open Meetings Act, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, various general election law issues, school boundary issues and charter schools. Beyond school districts, Brian has represented other public entities such as city councils, village boards, plan commissions and park district boards. This depth of local government experience gives Brian unique insight in assisting organizations with intergovernmental cooperation and agreements between public bodies. He has also served as public and private sector counsel in the negotiation of numerous transactions involving land use matters, private development matters and public financing matters.
Brian served as associate counsel to the Illinois Speaker of the House for a legislative term. He was the primary attorney for the Local Government, Urban Revitalization, and Transportation Committees.
Brian is a frequent author and speaker on school law matters and has made presentations for the Illinois Association of School Boards, the Illinois Association of School Business Officials, SCOPE and Ed-Red. He is one of the primary authors of a chapter entitled “School Board Practices, Procedures, and Elections” for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education.
Brian is a member of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys, the Chicago Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
Brian is the co-author of the chapter entitled "School Board Practices, Procedures, and Elections" in the 2010 edition of Illinois School Law: Organization, Finance & Property published by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE).
Brian volunteers in the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago’s “Lawyers in the Classroom” program with Dvorak Academy, the firm’s Chicago Public Schools’ partner school.
Brian resides in the Ravenswood area in Chicago and is a frequent runner, participating in 5K and 8K races throughout the City. He also enjoys traveling with his young family to destinations where he can participate in his favorite activities, which are hiking, kayaking and golfing.
Representative Experience click to view
- Acts as the primary attorney for more than 30 Illinois school districts on a diverse array of contract matters including construction, architect, transportation, and consultant and employment contracts; bidding issues; real estate and land use; and technology, energy savings and performance guarantee agreements
- Handles complex FOIA requests, Open Meetings Act issues and other general governance issues
- Serves as one of the firm’s primary election "go-to" partners for school districts
- Counsels clients on the review and establishment of charter schools
- Negotiates revenue generating agreements for school districts, including facility use agreements and cellular tower lease agreements
- Served as primary attorney on a $7 million real estate purchase of a manufacturing facility by a local school district, assisting with the environmental remediation and development issues for the proposed development of athletic fields and facilities
- Negotiated long term stadium use facility between a local high school district and local university
Publications
- School Board Members Properly Petitioned Court to Oust Board Member from Office
- Illinois AG: Records on Personal Electronic Devices and E-mail Accounts Subject to FOIA
- Franczek Radelet Updates the FOIA Document Package
- View All »