Julie Brennan (she/her) is CDEL’s Legal Director. As the Legal Director, she supports CDEL’s delivery of high-quality legal services, coordinates with staff attorneys, interns, and pro bono volunteers, and collaborates with the Executive Director on strategic initiatives.  She brings over twenty years of experience to this role.

While she earned a dual degree in law (JD) and social work (MSW) at Loyola University Chicago, Julie participated in the Elder Law Clinic and became a law intern at Legal Aid Chicago from 2002-2003. After graduation, she joined Legal Aid Chicago in 2004, first as a staff attorney and then as a senior attorney working with clients with disabilities in the HIV Project. Toward the end of her tenure at Legal Aid Chicago, Julie became a supervising attorney and Long-Term Care Ombudsman for Suburban Cook County, coordinating a team dedicated to advocating on behalf of older adults and people with disabilities in nursing homes.

In 2018, the Legal Council for Health Justice appointed Julie as the Program Director for the children and families team at Legal Council for Health Justice, supporting their work on behalf of children with a combination of social, medical, and educational needs. In 2021, Julie worked as an Assistant Regional Counsel and Attorney Advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she advised and represented DHHS and component agencies in a variety of administrative litigation related to Medicare program enforcement, regulatory compliance, and employment matters. She also acted as in-house counsel for district court litigation involving Medicare compliance and the Federal Tort Claims Act.  

Julie has received the Outstanding Newcomer Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of General Counsel, the Outstanding Public Interest Award from Loyola University Chicago, the Sun-Times Fellowship from the Chicago Bar Foundation, and the Charles Clifton Compassion Award from the Northside HIV Coalition.