Celia Meza, Corporation Counsel

City of Chicago Law Department

Celia Meza is the Corporation Counsel. As the head of the City Law Department, Celia is responsible for the management of over 400 staff which includes approximately 280 attorneys. The Law Department is responsible for providing legal counsel and representation for the more than forty City of Chicago client departments, the Mayor, Boards, Commissioners, and the City Council. The Department handles employment litigation, torts, police misconduct cases, transactional matters, legislative projects, and enforcement of the Municipal Code.

Celia is an experienced attorney with a diverse government background having worked in federal, state, and local government legal positions. She is also an experienced in-house counsel having served in legal positions in public and private corporations as well as a non-profit organization. Celia can personally attest to the valuable legal experience that can be gained from working in the Office of the Corporation Counsel as she began her legal career in the office as an Assistant Corporation Counsel before moving on to external legal positions. In 2019, Celia returned to City employment to join Mayor Lightfoot’s administration in the position of Mayor’s Counsel and Senior Ethics Advisor. In December 2020 she was asked by Mayor Lightfoot to return to the Law Department as the Corporation Counsel and in June 2021 she was confirmed into the position by the City Council.