Radiance Ward is an Assistant Public Defender in the Homicide Task Force Division of the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender. More than half of her nearly two-decade career has been spent as an assistant public defender. Over the course of her tenure as an assistant public defender, the Chicago native has litigated more than a hundred motions and trials.

Prior to her current position on the Homicide Task Force, Radiance served clients with wide-ranging legal needs, including child protection, juvenile justice, adult misdemeanor and adult felony matters. No matter the case, Radiance has remained consistent in the advocacy of her clients and the protection of their constitutional rights.

Radiance’s passion for and service within the legal system doesn’t end with her clients, it extends to the future of law and includes mentoring prospective and rising lawyers. For more than one decade, she’s fulfilled this passion as an Adjunct Professor in Trial Advocacy at Loyola University Chicago - School of Law. She also serves on the coaching staff of the award-winning Philip H. Corboy Fellowship Program in Trial Advocacy. By example and instruction, Radiance unwaveringly inspires and impacts the lives of the hundreds of aspiring lawyers she has coached, mentored, and instructed.

A first-generation lawyer with a heart for social justice and equity, Radiance previously held roles in nonprofit and local government, including at LifeSpan and the Office of the Chief Judge, representing clients in domestic relations matters and advising clients in housing and foreclosure matters.

Radiance holds a Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago - School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University. She is admitted to the Illinois Bar. In addition, Radiance is a proud product of Chicago Public Schools having attended McDade Classical School, Ogden Elementary School, and Kenwood Academy.

Additionally, Radiance is committed to positively impacting her community as a volunteer with LegalTrek, The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program, and The Glass Slipper Project. Radiance is also a volunteer mentor with the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni (AVBA) and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

In her spare time, Radiance enjoys immersing herself in Chicago’s incredible culture (as she considers it the best city in the nation), spending time with family and friends - which includes more than 30 cousins - and fulfilling her quest to find the best seafood restaurant in the city.