John J. Kurowski (JFRC ‘73–’74, BA ‘75)
2013's Spirit of Felice Award Winner
Born and raised in East St. Louis, John Kurowski attended a Catholic grade school and a Catholic high school before coming to Loyola University Chicago in 1971. He attended the John Felice Rome Center for a full year in 1973–74, an experience that changed his life forever, then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in history in 1975. He received his law degree from Saint Louis University in 1978.
Kurowski is the managing partner of Kurowski Shultz LLC, a law firm he founded over 30 years ago as a solo practice in downstate Belleville, IL. As a trial lawyer, he handles complex litigation in the areas of toxic tort, environmental, and local government law. He has tried many cases to verdict in more than 15 states.
Kurowski is also a visiting professor of law at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland. In conjunction with that appointment, he has organized and led a popular study tour for JFRC students to Poland since 2006. Each year, the program has engaged American, Polish, and other European students with an array of international scholars and activists around controversial topics in human rights.
Kurowski has served previously as a member of Loyola’s National Alumni Association Board of Directors and the JFRC Alumni Board of Directors. Along with his wife, Connie, he was a member of the leadership committee for Insieme per il futuro, Phase I of the campaign for the John Felice Rome Center (which is completed), and a former chair of the JFRC’s Società di Donatori. In November 2012, he was elected president of the JFRC Alumni Board and was named to the Loyola Rome Center Foundation Council of Advisors.
Kurowski is also a member of the Society of Fellows of the Aspen Institute, a fellow in the Center for International Legal Studies, and a member of the board of directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Greater St. Louis.
Kurowski has been married to Connie for over 30 years. They have three adult children—Angela Daubach, Joseph (JFRC ’06–’07, BA ’09, MBA ’12), and Elizabeth—along with one granddaughter, Stella Daubach.
Born and raised in East St. Louis, John Kurowski attended a Catholic grade school and a Catholic high school before coming to Loyola University Chicago in 1971. He attended the John Felice Rome Center for a full year in 1973–74, an experience that changed his life forever, then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in history in 1975. He received his law degree from Saint Louis University in 1978.
Kurowski is the managing partner of Kurowski Shultz LLC, a law firm he founded over 30 years ago as a solo practice in downstate Belleville, IL. As a trial lawyer, he handles complex litigation in the areas of toxic tort, environmental, and local government law. He has tried many cases to verdict in more than 15 states.
Kurowski is also a visiting professor of law at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland. In conjunction with that appointment, he has organized and led a popular study tour for JFRC students to Poland since 2006. Each year, the program has engaged American, Polish, and other European students with an array of international scholars and activists around controversial topics in human rights.
Kurowski has served previously as a member of Loyola’s National Alumni Association Board of Directors and the JFRC Alumni Board of Directors. Along with his wife, Connie, he was a member of the leadership committee for Insieme per il futuro, Phase I of the campaign for the John Felice Rome Center (which is completed), and a former chair of the JFRC’s Società di Donatori. In November 2012, he was elected president of the JFRC Alumni Board and was named to the Loyola Rome Center Foundation Council of Advisors.
Kurowski is also a member of the Society of Fellows of the Aspen Institute, a fellow in the Center for International Legal Studies, and a member of the board of directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Greater St. Louis.
Kurowski has been married to Connie for over 30 years. They have three adult children—Angela Daubach, Joseph (JFRC ’06–’07, BA ’09, MBA ’12), and Elizabeth—along with one granddaughter, Stella Daubach.