About William
William Wolf studied political science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, earning his B.A. in 1990. He continued his legal education at Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he received his J.D. in 1993. Those years established the academic foundation he brought to public defense work and later private practice.
After law school he joined the Cook County Public Defender’s Office as an assistant public defender in 1993. He spent his early career in courtrooms handling criminal cases on behalf of indigent clients. That work shaped both his trial instincts and his understanding of how prosecutorial decisions affect people’s lives. He later moved into private practice, bringing that courtroom experience to clients facing state and federal charges.
Wolf’s bar admissions include Illinois, the Northern District of Illinois, the Seventh Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Those admissions reflect a practice that has operated in trial and appellate settings. He has been active in professional organizations related to criminal defense and the broader legal community. He served as president of the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers from 2010 to 2012 and spent three years on the board of directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, from 2017 to 2020. He has been a member of the Women’s Criminal Defense Bar Association since 2009 and joined the Chicago Bar Association in 2017.
Colleagues describe him as someone who relies on courtroom experience rather than theory. He has moved between public service and private work but has remained centered on criminal defense. That continuity shows in how he approaches cases: pragmatic, grounded in procedure, and attentive to the client’s immediate needs.
He now operates a solo practice, The Law Office of William Wolf, LLC. In that setting he handles matters that arise in state and federal systems, and he continues to litigate in both trial courts and on appeal when needed. His practice mixes the habits of a former public defender—quick triage, heavy courtroom time—with the case-management demands of private practice.
Wolf maintains memberships in organizations that shape criminal defense practice and remains engaged in legal circles in Chicago. He represents clients in criminal matters in state and federal courts and concentrates his current practice on criminal defense and appellate work.
