John Thornton

Clinical Professor of Law

Biography

John Thornton is a Clinical Professor of Law at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Professor Thornton specialized in complex commercial litigation, practicing law at Jenner & Block LLP; Vedder, Price, Kaufman & Kammholz, PC; and at a Chicago litigation boutique. He received a BA from Notre Dame, a Masters in Applied Linguistics from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he taught English as a Second Language, and a JD from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Professor Thornton’s book, U.S. Legal Reasoning, Writing, and Practice for International Lawyers (LexisNexis 2014, now Carolina Academic Press), won the Global Legal Skills Award in 2015, and he is the Chair of the AALS Section on Graduate Programs for Non-US Lawyers.

Courses

Selected Publications

  • U.s. Legal Reasoning, Writing, and Practice for International Lawyers (2014).
  • 2008 Developments in Illinois Employment Discrimination Law, Employment issue, Vol. 23 Andrews Litigation Reporter 8 (November 18, 2008) (Co-authored by: Alan W. Nicgorski).
  • Record Retention and Litigation Holds for Financial Institutions, __ The Review of Banking & Financial Services __ (June 2006) (Co-authored by: Bruce A. Radke).
  • Temporary Restraining Orders and Preliminary Injunctions, in Chapter 9, Illinois Institute For Continuing Legal Education, Business & Commercial Litigation (2007 edition) (Co-authored by: Gregory J. Scandaglia, William J. Ryan & Bradley D. Hergott).
  • Winning the Battle of the Forms, __ Illinois Bar Journal __ (July 2008) (Co-authored by: William J. Ryan).

Education

  • BA magna cum laude, University of Notre Dame
  • MA, University of Illinois at Chicago
  • JD, Northwestern University

Prior Appointments

  • Clinical Associate Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law
  • Clinical Assistant Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law
  • Associate, 2006-2009, Scandaglia & Ryan
  • Associate, 2005-2006, Vedder, Price, Kaufman & Kammholz, PC
  • Associate, 2002-2005, Jenner & Block LLP
  • English as a Second Language (ESL) Lecturer, 1985-1999, University of Illinois at Chicago
  • English as a Second Language Instructor, 1983-1985, Truman College Refugee Program

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