The Leo Alumni Association has recently become aware of the death of a prominent alumnus, Thomas A. Durkin of the Class of 1964. Thomas became a nationally known attorney, who represented a broad spectrum of defendants in both criminal and civil rights cases. Thomas’ clients ranged from individuals who stood among society’s most vilified, to individuals of great prominence who found themselves in the path of prosecutors. Thomas’ work was done substantially in Northern Illinois, but he became very well known nationally for his work in civil rights and human rights cases, where his talents and unique personal style made him a memorable figure. Ultimately Thomas’s career path led him to become the advocate in some of the most prominent cases in the US, cases which garnered both national and international attention.
Thomas came to Leo High School from St. Leo Grammar School. His father worked at the South Works Steel Mills and his mother was a homemaker. While at Leo, Thomas participated in football and basketball, as a team manager in each sport in his early years and as a player, in basketball as a Senior, and in football as a Junior and a Senior. Thomas also participated as a class officer as a Freshman and a Sophomore, a member of the golf team in his Junior and Senior years and the tennis team as a Junior. Also noteworthy among Thomas’s high school activities was his involvement in the League of the Sacred Heart in his Freshman and Sophomore years.
Even with his prominent professional career, Thomas was an avid supporter of Leo High School, throughout his life, including participating, actively and in person, in alumni events. Thomas remained in friendship, and in contact, with many of his fellow Leo Graduates and attended both the Annual Leo Alumni Banquet and the Annual Leo High School Scholarship Benefit.
After attending Leo, Thomas attended Notre Dame University in 1968. He obtained a law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1973. Thomas served as a law clerk to Federal Judge James B. Parsons for four years after law school and obtained a position as an Assistant US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois immediately thereafter. As an Assistant US Attorney Thomas served under Thomas P. Sullivan and Daniel K. Webb, working, in particular, on cases involving political corruption and white-collar crime. While at the US attorney’s office Thomas was also a trailblazer in pursuing federal criminal civil rights open housing cases in Illinois.
After spending six years with the US Attorneys Office, in 1984, Thomas established his private practice. Thomas married Janis Roberts, with whom he also partnered in his law practice throughout the rest of his life. They had six children together and they have two stepchildren. Three of his children have become attorneys.
Among the most noteworthy of Thomas’ endeavors was his decision to accept the offer advanced by the ACLU to defend capital defendants in the military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay. While conducting himself in this work, Thomas acted as a fearless and implacable advocate who left his mark on all of the parties involved with the cases. Thomas had a remarkable and admirable law career.
Thomas’ career is documented to a great extent on his Wikipedia Page and a multitude of newspaper articles covering his life, including an extensive article in the New York Times. This alumni obituary relies on information from all sources, but particularly from those later two sources. For those who needed his help or those who had the opportunity to get to know Thomas A. Durkin, he will be missed.
The entire membership of the Alumni Association offers its prayers and condolences to Thomas’ family, and to his close friends and associates at this time. Thomas’s obituary and visitation information is available here. At his family’s request, in lieu of flowers, please send donations to Leo High School, 7901 S. Sangamon, Chicago, IL 60620.
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