Christopher M. Kennedy was born on July 8, 1968, in New York, NY. He attended John S. Burke Catholic High School and the State University of New York at Binghamton (B.A., History, 1990). He obtained his law degree from John Marshall Law School (J.D. 1994), 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, Illinois, then practiced privately in Chicago and Lake Forest, focusing on major civil litigation, trying multi-million dollar cases and handling their appeals. He later oversaw the liquidation of Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co. and its affiliates (formerly known as the Kemper Group) as Estate Trust Officer and Deputy General Counsel for six years. He also served as Legislative Director of the Autism Society of Illinois for six years and as a local school board member for 12 years.

Justice Kennedy was appointed to the 19th Circuit as an Associate Judge in 2019, where he presided over cases in the criminal division. He was elected to the Appellate Court, 2nd District, in 2022. He is married with three children.