William C. Kling, JD is an attorney, policy consultant, and professor. He has practiced law for 35 years with an emphasis on all aspects of local governmental, land use, zoning, environmental, and non-profit law. His policy practice has included drafting and advocating for legislative change at the local, regional, state and federal level. He has also taught courses in law, policy and leadership for over 25 years. His action-oriented, practical, collaborative, and common-sense approach has given him the skills to represent a myriad of clients in the courtroom, boardroom and legislative chambers. He has worked in preeminent law firms in Chicago, as well as serving as General Counsel for a well-known community college. His law and policy focus has given him the opportunity to work with several clients on community capacity building, economic development and systems change. He retired from UIC School of Public Health in 2019. He currently teaches in the UIC Undergraduate Honors College and as an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University and Kent College of Law. His law and policy clients have included municipalities, school districts, community colleges, nonprofits and minority-owned businesses. He has contributed to major innovations in Chicago and Illinois, including initiatives involving vertical farming, cannabis, water resource management, housing, food systems, education, workforce development, and community and economic development. He is well-known for his work in African American and LatinX communities in Chicago, the Suburbs and throughout the State. Over the years, he has served on a wide variety of nonprofit boards. He also has an appointment on the Illinois Leadership Council on Agricultural Education and the State of Illinois' Comptroller's Local Governmental Advisory Board.