Edward N. Siskel (born 1972) is an American lawyer from Chicago serving since 2023 as the White House Counsel in the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden.

Ed Siskel
Official portrait, 2023
White House Counsel
Assumed office
September 11, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byStuart Delery
Personal details
Born1972 (age 51–52)
Political partyDemocratic
RelativesGene Siskel (uncle)
EducationWesleyan University (BA)
University of Chicago (JD)

Early life and education

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Siskel was born in 1972 and grew up in Chicago.[1] He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1994.[1][2] He entered the University of Chicago Law School in 1997,[2] becoming editor-in-chief of the University of Chicago Law Review. He graduated in 2000 with a Juris Doctor degree.[3][2]

After law school, Siskel was a law clerk for Judge Dorothy Wright Nelson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2000 to 2001 and for U.S. Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens from 2001 to 2002.[3][4]

Professional career

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From 2002 until 2005, Siskel was a lawyer for the WilmerHale law firm.[5] From 2005 until 2009, Siskel was a prosecutor in the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago and was an associate deputy attorney general in the United States Department of Justice. He later worked in the White House counsel's office during the administration of President Barack Obama, including as Deputy Counsel.[6] In that role, Siskel oversaw the White House's legal responses to congressional oversight and to complex challenges such as the rollout of the Affordable Care Act.[7]

Siskel then returned to private practice at WilmerHale.[8] From 2017 until 2019, he served in the office of corporation counsel for the City of Chicago under Mayor Rahm Emanuel.[7]

From 2019 until he was named White House Counsel, Siskel was chief legal officer for Chicago-based Grosvenor Holdings LLC.[9]

On August 22, 2023, Siskel was named the designate to serve as White House Counsel, replacing Stuart Delery. Siskel began serving as White House counsel in September 2023.[7]

Personal life

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Siskel is the nephew of the late film critic Gene Siskel.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b "President Joe Biden Names Ed Siskel New White House Counsel". The White House. August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Edward Siskel '00 Rejoins WilmerHale | University of Chicago Law School". www.law.uchicago.edu. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Kapos, Shia (August 22, 2023). "Biden taps Chicago attorney from Rahm Emanuel's administration as top White House counsel". POLITICO. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  4. ^ House, The White (August 22, 2023). "President Joe Biden Names Ed Siskel New White House Counsel". The White House. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  5. ^ "Edward Siskel '00 Rejoins WilmerHale | University of Chicago Law School". www.law.uchicago.edu. June 2, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Biden taps Chicago attorney from Rahm Emanuel's administration as top White House counsel - POLITICO".
  7. ^ a b c House, The White (August 22, 2023). "President Joe Biden Names Ed Siskel New White House Counsel". The White House.
  8. ^ "Mayor Emanuel Announces Edward Siskel As New Corporation Counsel". www.chicago.gov.
  9. ^ "Grosvenor Holdings hires former City Hall officials | Crain's Chicago Business".
Legal offices
Preceded by White House Counsel
2023–present
Incumbent