Jim Leach to join University of Iowa as visiting law professor

Jim Leach, who represented Iowa for 30 years in the U.S. Congress, will join the University of Iowa faculty this summer as a visiting law professor and the UI Chair in Public Affairs.

It's a three-year renewable term, and Leach will begin on campus full-time starting Aug. 1, UI President Sally Mason announced during a state Board of Regents meeting Wednesday. Leach's annual salary will be $240,000, coming partly from private donations for the new chair position and partly from UI College of Law funds, Mason said.

Leach will work with the UI Center for Human Rights, advise law students and help secure field placements in Washington D.C., give campus lectures on subjects such as foreign policy and teach courses to undergraduates and law students on American government and the legislative process, Mason said

"We're delighted that we were able to compete against the likes of Princeton, Harvard and others who were looking to bring Jim back to their institutions," Mason said. "I know he'll contribute a lot in the world of public affairs. My guess is his voice on the national scene will continue to be strong."

Leach last month retired as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, a post to which President Barack Obama appointed him in 2009. Before that, he was a professor at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and interim director of the Institute of Politics and lecturer at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Before his positions in higher education, Leach served Iowa for 30 years as a Republican representative in Congress, where he chaired the Banking and Financial Services Committee, the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

The UI Chair of Public Affairs position is meant to honor an individual with a distinguished career in public service, Mason said.

"I can think of no one better than Jim Leach to hold this chair for the coming three years," she said. "We're thrilled."

Dean of the College of Law Gail Agrawal noted Leach has a distinguished record of public service with expertise in varied areas such as international relations, finance and the humanities.

"We are delighted to welcome him to the College of Law," Agrawal said in a statement.