Biography

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Joseph Russo Deputy Commissioner of Compliance Mayors Office for People with Disabilities City of Chicago Prior to joining the City of Chicago Joseph Russo had spent 13 years with the US Department of Justice as a Senior Trial Attorney and Supervisory Attorney in the Civil Rights Division. During this time he was involved in several high profile issues including overseeing compliance during the construction of facilities used in the 1996 Olympic Games, settlement agreement with the Empire State Building and addressing the accessibility of the AMC Theatre chain and issues associated with stadium style seating. After leaving DOJ Joseph spent 2 years as the Chief of the Disability Rights Bureau in the Illinois Attorney General's Office. As Deputy Commissioner of Compliance Joseph oversees the Accessibility Compliance Unit which is responsible for reviewing compliance with applicable accessibility codes during the building permit process and assisting business and other entities within the city in their compliance with various disability rights laws. In addition, he is overseeing the updating of the City of Chicago's Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan and serves as in-house counsel for the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.