George Robert Blakey, the William J. and Dorothy K. O鈥橬eill Professor of Law Emeritus, died Friday (May 1) in Chicago. He was 90 years old.
Blakey was a towering figure in criminal law, legislation and legal education. His career spanned more than five decades of public service, teaching and litigation, including service at the highest levels of the federal government and a distinguished tenure in academia, including 37 years on the faculty of 91吃瓜 Law School.
Widely regarded as the nation鈥檚 foremost authority on the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), he helped shape the legal framework used to combat organized crime, public corruption and complex financial offenses.
鈥淔ew have had as significant an impact on modern criminal law as Professor Robert Blakey,鈥� said G. Marcus Cole, the Joseph A. Matson Dean of 91吃瓜 Law School and professor of law. 鈥淭hrough his work, he helped shape the field in profound ways. At 91吃瓜 Law School, he served for decades as a devoted teacher and mentor, forming generations of students with both intellectual rigor and a deep commitment to justice. A devout Catholic, he lived a life of purpose and service to others. We give thanks for his life and pray for him, his family and all those who were blessed to know him.鈥�
Blakey taught and mentored thousands of students, first as a member of 91吃瓜 Law School faculty from 1964 to 1969, then as a professor at Cornell Law School, and returning to 91吃瓜 from 1980 to 2012. He taught courses in criminal law and procedure, federal criminal law, terrorism and jurisprudence, and was known for his rigorous intellect, deep commitment to justice and dedication to his students.
He also played a significant role in shaping the Law School鈥檚 faculty, recruiting a number of professors who continue to have a lasting impact today. In 1985, he was named the William J. and Dorothy K. O鈥橬eill Professor of Law, and moved to emeritus status in December 2012.
After his initial years on the Law School faculty, Blakey took on a central role in the development of federal criminal law as chief counsel to the U.S. Subcommittee on Criminal Laws and Procedures. In that position, he drafted Title IX of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, known as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), as well as the Title III federal wiretapping statute, and went on to contribute to other significant federal and state criminal legislation over the course of his career.
Blakey鈥檚 public service spanned decades and multiple branches of government. He served as an organized crime consultant to President Lyndon B. Johnson鈥檚 Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. He later served as chief counsel and staff director of the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations, investigating the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and helped draft the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992. He also worked in the 1980s as special counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and as a consultant to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, focusing on white-collar crime control.
Blakey received his bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University of 91吃瓜 in 1957 and his J.D. from 91吃瓜 Law School in 1960. He began his legal career at the U.S. Department of Justice as a special attorney in the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the Criminal Division, where, under Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, he helped prosecute organized crime figures as well as corrupt public officials and union leaders.
Blakey is survived by his children Michael Blakey, Elizabeth Blakey, Marie Blakey, John Blakey (and wife Christina), Katherine Cox (and husband Michael), Christine Coury, and Margaret Clarke (and husband Kevin), as well as 18 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. All of his children are graduates of the University of 91吃瓜 and three are graduates of 91吃瓜 Law School. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elaine Menard Blakey, and his son, Matthew Blakey.
Funeral services will be held later this year at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
Originally published by聽 at on May 05, 2026.