Carey A. Hendricks

Carey A. Hendricks serves as Of Counsel to Simpson Dattilo, LLC, a boutique law firm providing legal representation and trusted counsel to clients in corporate, administrative, real estate, and estate planning matters from offices in Chicago, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois and Louisville, Kentucky. Ms. Hendricks provides strategic legal and policy guidance on administrative law, regulatory compliance, and government-related matters. With more than 25 years of experience across federal, state, and local systems, Carey advises clients navigating complex regulatory environments, public-sector operations, and high-stakes policy challenges.

Carey most recently served as a Senior Policy Advisor with the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, where she oversaw multimillion-dollar federal initiatives and advised executive leadership on governance, compliance, and policy implementation. Her work focused on strengthening public safety systems through cross-agency coordination, regulatory alignment, and strategic program development.

Prior to her federal service, Carey was appointed Chief of Staff for the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, where she served as a trusted advisor to executive leadership and played a central role in statewide strategic planning, operational oversight, and the administration of approximately $120 million in state and federal grant programs. She is known for her ability to align complex systems, manage sensitive legal and policy issues, and drive measurable outcomes across multi-agency environments.

Carey’s career includes significant leadership in both government and nonprofit sectors. She served as Program Coordinator for the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (KySAKI) with the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, where she led statewide reform efforts addressing forensic evidence processing and cold case investigations. She also served as Interim Executive Director of Silverleaf Sexual Trauma Recovery Services, overseeing operations, governance, and funding strategy for a nonprofit serving survivors of sexual trauma.

Earlier in her career, Carey was the founder and partner of a civil litigation firm, where she handled complex litigation matters from intake through trial and appeal. She also served as an Assistant County Attorney and as a Staff Attorney with Kentucky Legal Aid, representing clients in family law and advocating for vulnerable populations.

Across each of these roles, Carey has developed deep expertise in governance, compliance, public policy, and system-level reform, with a particular focus on navigating complex stakeholder environments and delivering high-impact, strategic solutions. She is widely recognized for her sound judgment, leadership, and ability to build consensus across legal, governmental, and community-based organizations.

Carey earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and holds a Master’s degree in Counseling and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Eastern Kentucky University.