Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Joseph Anthony Francis fell in love with "The Windy City" at an early age. He left the Chicago area for four years to attend the University of Notre Dame, from which he graduated with degrees in English and Business. He was awarded the university’s prestigious William Mitchell Award for Playwriting. Upon graduating from Notre Dame, Francis returned to Chicago where he attended and graduated from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law. He has been living in Chicago ever since.