Jason J. Czarnezki began his tenure as Chicago-Kent College of Law dean on June 1, 2025. He joined Illinois Tech from Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law, where he served as associate dean of environmental law programs and strategic initiatives, the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, and faculty director of the Sustainable Business Law Hub.
Throughout his career, Czarnezki has demonstrated a passion for transforming legal education, advancing specialty programs, and expanding community engagement. At Pace, he elevated the Environmental Law Program to a #1 national ranking in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report—a distinction it held for four straight years and five of his last six years at Pace—by emphasizing innovation, diversity, and collaboration.
Prior to his time at Pace, Czarnezki was a professor at Vermont Law School, where he also served as faculty director of the U.S.-China Partnership for Environmental Law. He also served on the faculty of Marquette University Law School and as a visiting professor at both Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and DePaul University College of Law. He has received prestigious international fellowships, including a Fulbright at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, and has held research affiliations with Oxford University, Uppsala University in Sweden, and the University of Tromsø in Norway. In 2020 he was named the Olof Palme Visiting Professor at Stockholm University by the Swedish National Research Council.
Czarnezki earned his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Chicago and his Ph.D. in environmental law from Uppsala University. His scholarly interests center on the intersection of environmental law, natural resources law policy, food systems policy, and sustainable business strategies, as well as the ways in which technology and innovation shape global climate policy. His writings include the books Green Public Procurement: Legal Instruments for Promoting Environmental Interests in the United States and European Union (Uppsala University 2019) and Everyday Environmentalism: Law, Nature & Individual Behavior (Environmental Law Institute Press /Island Press 2011).
Education
Ph.D. in Environmental Law, Uppsala University (Sweden), 2019
J.D., University of Chicago, 2003
B.A., University of Chicago, 2000
Research Interests
Czarnezki’s research lies at the intersection of environmental law, natural resources law policy, food systems policy, and sustainable business strategies, as well as the ways in which technology and innovation shape global climate policy.
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
- State Bar of Illinois
- American Bar Association (Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources)
- Environmental Law Institute
- Academy of Food Law & Policy