Christopher M. Kennedy was born in New York, NY. He attended John S. Burke Catholic High School and the State University of New York at Binghamton (now Binghamton University). He obtained his law degree from John Marshall (now University of Illinois-Chicago) Law School, where he was an editor on the executive board of the John Marshall Law Review.
He began his career as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Lake County, then practiced privately for over 20 years in Chicago and Lake Forest.
Justice Kennedy was appointed to the 19th Circuit as an Associate Judge in 2020, where he presided over cases in the criminal division. He was elected to the Appellate Court in 2022.