Kent Dean received his J.D. from Chicago’s prestigious DePaul Law School
Kent Dean received his B.A. in political science from Illinois State University and his J.D. from Chicago’s prestigious DePaul Law School. He has been practicing in Illinois since 1999.
As a former Assistant Public Defender, Kent Dean believes passionately that everyone is entitled to a four star defense. In addition to handling a range of criminal law cases from misdemeanors to felonies, he is one of the few attorneys in the state of Illinois willing to take on the Department of Children and Family Services. His prior experience as a youth counselor and crisis manager at a major Chicago Emergency Room affords him a unique perspective and approach to engaging with DCFS. As early as his days as a public defender in Cook County child protection court, he recognized that most cases were won and lost outside of the courtroom.
Since entering private practice, he takes appointments through the Chicago Bar Association’s bar attorney program in the Cook County juvenile court and privately represents parents and foster parents facing investigations and allegations. An advocate for parents and foster parents, Mr. Dean has supported efforts to provide accused parties with a so-called “DePuy warning.” Mr. Dean has successfully guided DCFS investigations away from protective custody, family separation and court involvement. In addition, as a bar attorney, he is appointed by the courts to represent the interests of numerous children as guardian ad litem.
A Leader In His Field
Recognized as a leader in his field, Kent Dean has appeared on ABC 7 and Univision and has been quoted in publications such as the National Law Journal, Chicago Defender, the Daily Southtown, and the Chicago Reporter.
