Carolyn Welch Clifford has devoted her legal career to the representation of local governments in Illinois with a special emphasis on legal issues involving the fire service. In her practice, Ms. Clifford primarily represents public pension funds, fire and police commissions, and fire protection districts. She also advises villages, cities, and school districts in areas such as policy development, liability issues, and employment matters.

 

In her practice Ms. Clifford is actively involved in legal issues regarding the management of public pension funds. Ms. Clifford has extensive experience in handling firefighter and police disability pension matters from the initial hearing stage to appellate review. In her role as counsel for fire and police commissions, she advises clients on hiring, promotion, discipline, and discharge matters unique to the fire and police service. Her experience with employment matters from the initial hiring stage through disability and retirement provides her a unique perspective in advising clients. Ms. Clifford has handled a number of appellate cases and argued before the Illinois Appellate Court. Her appellate cases have included several issues of first impression, including an interpretation of duty-related issues involving a firefighter seeking a mental disability pension and an analysis of a pension board’s right to deliberate in closed session.

 

Ms. Clifford is the editor of the firm’s newsletters, Legal Insights for Pension Boards and Legal Insights for Local Governments. She contributes articles to a variety of publications, including The Fire Call, The Fire Guard, The Gong, Illinois School Board Journal, and the Illinois Public Pension Fund Association’s Pension Trustee Newsletter. Ms. Clifford is a frequent speaker on pension and employment issues at municipal and fire service conferences.

 

Ms. Clifford is an elected member and secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Barrington Public Library District. She served on the University of Illinois College of Law Recent Alumni Advisory Board, and is an active member of the Barrington Area Branch of the American Association of University Women and the Girl Scouts.