Christopher J. Jump | 33
Associate attorney, Davis & Campbell LLC
Christopher Jump’s law practice focuses on representing and advocating for businesses, public bodies and not-for-profit entities. He has litigated in a wide spectrum of forums including U.S. tax courts, federal and state courts and administrative proceedings. He currently is counsel to the city of Canton, as well as representing other municipalities.
He has significant trial experience and held a Special Assistant Attorney General appointment for many years representing the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Natural Resources. He is a previous president of the Fulton County Bar Association and serves on the Local Government Section Council for the Illinois State Bar Association. While attending St. Louis University, he was editor of the Public Law Review.
Chris lives in Canton with his wife Ashley and their two young children. He does free legal work for area non-profits and has been active in local youth soccer clubs.
He has served as a Canton alderman, as vice president of the Fulton County Rural Transit Board, as director of the Canton Family YMCA, and as a trustee of the Canton Firefighters’ Pension Fund. He is a director for the Graham Hospital Foundation and for the Spoon River Partnership for Economic Development.
Advice to 20-year-old self: Besides “take all of your money and buy Facebook stock or Bitcoin … relax, take a step back, and spend as much time as possible with friends and family … Life’s short. We lose some too early and those relationships only … get harder to maintain as you grow your career. Those relationships matter more than anything. The rest will work itself out.”
What no one knows about you: “I am a commissioned Kentucky Colonel.”
‘I don’t care what you do when you’re older, just be good at it.’
— Advice from Christopher’s father
Best advice ever: “At dinner with my parents at some point shortly before college, my dad gave me advice analogous to the old Abe Lincoln adage, ‘I don’t care what you do when you’re older, just be good at it.’”
Leadership definition: “Selflessness, humility, an ability to overcome adversity, and reliability. I believe a great leader needs to be able to put others before self and to be able to accept the views of others … A leader also needs to rise to the occasion.”
