EIU Media Relations

Austin Hill named Eastern Illinois University general counsel

(Charleston, IL) – Eastern Illinois University has named Austin Hill as its new general counsel.

Hill, who started at EIU Tuesday, April 18, brings an extensive background in legal counseling in both higher education and business, and looks forward to his new role at EIU and broader outreach in the Charleston, Illinois community.

“We’re excited to have Austin bring his talent and enthusiasm to Eastern Illinois University,” said EIU President Dr. David Glassman. “His expertise in higher education is a great fit for EIU, and his familiarity with the region and the details of Illinois regulatory law will pay enormous dividends for EIU and our diverse EIU communities.”

“I look forward to serving EIU as its general counsel, and to getting involved with the leadership team at EIU,” Hill said. “I understand and appreciate EIU’s commitment to its students, and am excited to assist EIU with maintaining its confident trajectory as a premier institution of higher education in the State.”

Hill brings ten years’ experience as an attorney to this role, and comes to EIU from the University of Illinois, where he served as Assistant University Counsel in the Office of University Counsel. In that role, Hill provided counsel on a broad array of matters, including contracts and procurement, sponsored programs, international employment, and matters relating to gifts and bequests made to the University. As part of his duties, he also served as counsel to the University of Illinois Alumni Association.

When prompted to share what drew him to a general counsel position in higher education—and more specifically at EIU—Hill offered, “There is a sense of vibrancy and vitality in higher education that is difficult to find in other areas of law. With respect to this role, specifically, I was fortunate to have several colleagues reach out and encourage me to consider applying, and after speaking with Laura McLaughlin, my predecessor in this role, her positivity was so encouraging that I felt impelled to apply.”

Prior to his work in higher education, Hill served as an attorney for Thomas Mamer, LLP from 2013-20. There, he built an extensive client base as a member of the firm’s transactional group, focusing on complex wills, trusts, and estate administrations. He also spent time as a law clerk in the Office of the Attorney General in Chicago, a research assistant for Professor John “Jack” Gorby and for Professor Kenneth Kandaras in Chicago, and as a law clerk for the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office and associate judge Holly Clemons in Urbana.

Hill holds an active law license in Illinois and earned his juris doctorate in 2013 from The John Marshall Law School, now the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Law. Hill earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign in 2008.

Hill, a self-admitted community advocate, also looks forward to continuing his involvement at the local level. He is currently active on and a former chair of the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois Board of Trustees, a Champaign-Urbana School District “CU One-to-One” mentor, and a trustee on the Developmental Service Center Foundation Board in Champaign.  Hill also was recognized as a member of the Champaign News Gazette’s “40 under 40” class of 2022. He previously held board roles at the Eastern Illinois Estate Planning Council and served on a Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation Fundraising Committee, amongst other community organizations.

Hill grew up in White Heath, Illinois, near Monticello. In his spare time, he enjoys playing music and board games, barbecuing, and spending time with his wife, Monica, and their children, Evan, Madeline, and Emmett.  

For more information about EIU, and to learn more about its comprehensive programs and services, visit the university’s website at www.eiu.edu, or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.