Eric P. Hanson practices in the areas of government and municipal law, land use and appellate practice. In the course of his government and municipal work, Eric has also developed a specific practice focusing on public and affordable housing. He represents several public housing authorities in the State of Illinois and is a frequent speaker at affordable housing conferences.

Eric was born in Joliet, Illinois in 1969. He attended the University of Illinois in Champaign, where he earned a B.A. Sociology in 1991. He received his J.D., cum laude, at The John Marshall Law School in 1995. During law school, he served as an Executive Editor of The John Marshall Law Review and participated in the Pace University Environmental Law Moot Court Competition.

Eric began his legal career as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Rita B. Garman of the Illinois Appellate Court, Fourth District. Following his clerkship, he served as a Will County Assistant State’s Attorney. He joined Mahoney, Silverman & Cross, Ltd. in 1998, and was named as a partner in 2004. He is rated BV by Martindale-Hubbell.

Eric’s community activities include serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA, as well as Chairman of the YMCA Program & Services Commission, President of the School Board at the Cathedral of St. Raymond School in Joliet, a member of the Board of Directors of the Illini Club of Will County and a member of the Board of Directors of CASA Kendall County from 2003 through 2004.

Eric is a member of the Will County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) and American Bar Association (ABA). His ISBA activities include being elected as a member of its Assembly in 2004 and a member of the Assembly Agenda and Program Committee in 2005. Eric has been a member of the ISBA Standing Committee on Insurance Programs and Services since 2003 and currently serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Committee. He was a member of the ISBA Young Lawyers Division Council from 2000 through 2005. In 2001, he was appointed to the ISBA Special Committee on Appellate Practice and the Special Committee on the Future of the Courts. Eric’s ABA activities include membership on the Committee on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law. He also served as a delegate to the ABA Young Lawyers Division Annual Meeting in 2001 and the Midyear Meetings in 2001, 2004 and 2005.

Eric is also a member of the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association and the Housing and Development Law Institute (HDLI) in Washington D.C. In 2006, Eric participated in the HDLI General Counsel Forum in Tampa, Florida.

Some of Eric’s recent activities include the following:

On November 30, 2006, Eric was appointed as Chairman of the Program & Services Commission at the Greater Joliet Area YMCA.

On June 15, 2006, Eric was appointed as Vice-Chairman of the ISBA Standing Committee on Insurance Programs and Services.

On May 8, 2006, Eric was elected as the President of the School Board at the Cathedral of St. Raymond School.

In May 2005, Eric worked with the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), the Illinois Public Housing Finance Corporation (IPHFC) and several Illinois public housing authorities to issue tax-exempt bonds totaling more than $25 million. These funds are now available to the participating public housing authorities for major capital improvements.

On January 21, 2005, the Supreme Court of Illinois ruled in favor of our client in the matter of Village of Frankfort v. Russell Johnson, No. 97272 (consolidated with People v. Robert Norris, No. 97231). Eric successfully argued that Illinois Supreme Court Rule 505 should not bar the re-filing of misdemeanor traffic charges, such as driving under the influence of alcohol, after a previous dismissal.

On August 19, 2004, Eric spoke at the Illinois NAHRO (National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials) Annual Conference in Fairview Heights, Illinois. He discussed the implementation of creative financing programs designed to meet affordable housing needs throughout the State.

On March 15, 2004, the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District ruled in favor of our client in the matter of Village of Orland Hills v. Citizens Utilities Company of Illinois, 347 Ill.App.3d 504, 807 N.E.2d 590. In its published opinion, the Court found that the client, a public utility company, was not obligated to provide water service to an unimproved parcel of property.