Clayton Harris

Clayton Harris III is a leading Public Policy and Government Relations consultant with over 20 years in engineering, law, politics, transportation and policy experience.

Lecturing at the University at Chicago for more than a decade, Clayton has brought his real-world experience, as Assistant to the Mayor of Chicago and Chief of Staff to the Governor of Illinois, to teach Process and Policy in State and Local Government.

Clayton’s background as a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney and expertise on policing race has been called upon on the national stage through appearances and discussions on WGN TV and has enhanced his course on Policing Race in America: Black, White & Blue through the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

Harris’ recent research examines the juxtaposition of the genesis of American policing through slavery in the 1600s and the parallels of American policing in the new millennium. His research uses historical accounts and modern strategies on the attempt to control race through policing’s many forms: education, housing, finances, judicial, etc.

Before joining and during his tenure at the University of Chicago, Harris worked at the Pentagon (BMDO and ARPA) and with global engineering firms and was also Chief of Staff at IDOT and the Executive Director for the Illinois International Port District. Harris earned his B.S. in Aerospace Technology from Middle Tennessee State University, his J.D. from Howard University School of Law and his M.P.P. from the University of Chicago.