This event, done in partnership with the College of Law and conducted on Zoom, will feature a discussion between Curran, Deans Robert Brinkmann and Cassandra Hill on various topics, such as the current state of democracy, states’ rights, ethical leadership in uncertain times, economic development, issues facing the state and taxpayers and a preview of the upcoming legislative session. A moderated question-and-answer session will follow.

The program is free and open to the public, but advanced registration is required. Go to http://go.niu.edu/Rebuilding-Democracy-RSVP to request a link to the event before Nov.12. Event links will be sent from the clas-communication@niu.edu mailbox the day before the event.

Curran is the Illinois Senate Minority Leader. A graduate of NIU’s College of Law, he started his career in public service in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in the late 1990s. He served 19 years as an Assistant State’s Attorney, initially as a prosecutor and eventually rising through the ranks to be chief of the Special Litigation Division, which encompassed the Labor & Employment, Torts & Civil Rights, and Municipal Litigation Units in the Civil Actions Bureau.

He has represented the 41st District in Illinois since 2017 and was unanimously elected by his peers to be the Illinois Senate Minority Leader in 2023. While in the General Assembly, Curran fought for a better quality of life for Illinois residents and business owners. He advocated for tighter clean air regulations in the wake of the public health crisis in Willowbrook. He was an advocate for tighter ethics reforms for state officials, serving as the Minority Spokesperson for the Senate Ethics Committee.