Jair Alvarez

Based in Chicago, Jair Alvarez is a research associate for the Illinois state government relations team. He returned to McGuireWoods Consulting after previously serving as a state government relations intern with the firm in 2024. Before rejoining the firm, he served as a Dunn Fellow in the office of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, where he analyzed legislation, monitored committee hearings and prepared policy memoranda to support the governor’s legislative and policy teams. He collaborated with legislative offices and state agencies to track priority legislation, coordinate stakeholder engagement and provide research that informed executive decisionmaking.

Before serving in the governor’s office, Jair completed internships across federal, state, consulting and legal settings that shaped his interest in public policy and government relations. He interned for U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, Illinois State Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas and with the Cook County state attorney’s office. These experiences provided him with a firsthand understanding of the legislative process, policy development, stakeholder engagement and the intersection of law and public policy, ultimately solidifying his commitment to a career in government relations and legislative advocacy.

Jair earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in logic, argumentation and writing from the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC). While at UIC, he served in several student leadership roles, including director of legislative affairs for the undergraduate student government, co-president of the Student Advocacy Coalition, and co-founder and co-president of the Latine Student Coalition, where he advanced higher education advocacy and student civic engagement.

• Chicago Mayor’s Office of Mexican American Engagement Council , 2025 - Present