In 1981, when Rob Youle (76JD)was 29 years old, he experienced a debilitating backache. As an antitrust litigation attorney accustomed to toting heavy trial briefcases, he assumed the heavy lifting was the cause of his pain. After consulting his primary care doctor, Youle was referred to a specialist who gave him life-changing news: He had stage IV metastatic testicular cancer and was given only 90 to 120 days to live.

“Because the prognosis was so dire, my immediate goal was just to make it to my 30th birthday, which was only a few weeks away,” Youle recalled. But he learned about a researcher at Indiana University who was developing new drug therapies. The research, funded by the American Cancer Society [ACS], resulted in a treatment that has since saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of young men. Youle was fortunate to be one of them.

In addition to giving Youle many years to live an active and productive life—he is now 72—the breakthrough treatment opened his eyes to the importance of serving others. “That’s when my thinking about volunteerism and philanthropy began to evolve,” he said. “I came to understand that our lives are enriched by people who volunteer and do things to benefit others.”

With that recognition, Youle began to volunteer for the ACS in the mid-1980s, work that over time became an increasingly meaningful part of his life. In the 43 years since his own cancer diagnosis, he has held leadership positions at every level of the ACS, including serving as national board chair. Today he remains involved with the ACS through its partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches, which engages with NCAA basketball coaches, players, and fans in efforts to help fight cancer.

“I realized early on that without my law degree, I probably would not have become board chair of the world’s largest health charity, one with an annual budget exceeding $1 billion,” Youle said. “My education at Iowa Law made it possible for me to serve the ACS the way I was able to.”

Several years after graduating from Iowa Law, Youle, who grew up in the Chicago suburbs, relocated to Colorado to join the law firm of Sherman & Howard, where he practiced in the area of complex commercial litigation. Shortly thereafter, he became litigation counsel to Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a not-for-profit power supplier that provides electricity to the Rocky Mountain West. Youle is now a solo practitioner, advising Tri-State on litigation strategy, strategic planning, and issues of corporate governance.

Looking back, Youle credits the support he received at Iowa Law with helping him thrive in his work. “If it hadn’t been for the financial support I received while at Iowa, I would never have been able to attend law school and go on to have a satisfying professional career,” he said. “Many of today’s students are unable to attend law school without financial support. Private philanthropy is increasingly important to providing that support, and the more money we raise, the more scholarships we can provide.”

To that end, Youle gives back by serving the Iowa Law School Foundation [ILSF], the nonprofit foundation that raises money to benefit Iowa Law. Over the years he has held various volunteer roles at ILSF, including Development Committee chair, co-chair of ILSF’s Iowa Inspired campaign that raised $52.6 million, and most recently a four-year term as ILSF’s president.

“Rob loves the College of Law and understands its impact in the world,” said Iowa Law Dean Kevin Washburn. “As ILSF’s president, he was a volunteer, but he treated ILSF like his most important client. I saw him regularly spend 20 or more hours a week crunching data, developing presentations, holding meetings, and negotiating with the UI Center for Advancement. When I have had a disappointment or a minor setback as dean, I can call Rob, and he can put everything in perspective by reminding me how important our work at the law school is. His enthusiasm can change my whole outlook.”

Youle’s enthusiasm may be infectious, but it remains rooted in his abiding gratitude for the help he received along the way.

“If you’d asked me at age 29 if I’d still be here today, doing all the things I love, I never would have believed you,” Youle said. “But I made it, and now I enjoy the additional years I’ve been given while trying to do what I can for others.”