Written By: Blake Etringer
Five faculty members at the University of Iowa College of Law have been named to endowed positions ahead of the 2025-2026 academic year.
Endowed chairs and professorships are the highest level of distinction bestowed upon faculty members, recognizing their exceptional contributions to legal education and supporting their continued advancement in the field.
Aliber Family Chair in Law: Katharine Baker
The Aliber Foundation established the Aliber Family Chair in Law in 1982. This position is intended for faculty enrichment and is dedicated to attracting and retaining outstanding professors at the Iowa College of Law.
Katharine Baker joined the Iowa Law faculty in summer 2025, following her tenure at Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she was University Distinguished Professor and served as associate dean for faculty development and later as associate dean for administration and strategic initiatives. A leading voice in family law, her work explores the evolving legal definitions of marriage and parenthood, with a particular focus on how the law intersects with women’s intimate lives. An award-winning educator, Baker has taught a wide range of core law courses and has also developed innovative experiential courses aimed at equipping students with the practical skills needed for modern legal practice. Baker is a member of the American Law Institute.
Jon and Sarah Fister Chair in Law & Economics: Sean Sullivan
The Jon and Sarah Fister Chair in Law & Economics was established in 2024 with the intent to promote the understanding of an economic approach to legal analysis. This Chair supports scholarship that applies economic reasoning to legal and public policy issues.
A member of the Iowa Law faculty since 2017, Sean Sullivan is the inaugural holder of the Chair. His research areas include a wide range of economic issues, from antitrust law, to negotiations, to market power and decision making. He applies a lens of experimental economics to both his teaching and his research, helping to instill within students an alternative approach to legal problem-solving. Sullivan holds both a JD and a PhD in Economics is a senior editor of the Antitrust Law Journal, one of the leading peer-reviewed publications in the field.
David L. Hammer and Willard L. “Sandy” Boyd Chair: Jason Rantanen
The David L. Hammer and Willard L. “Sandy” Boyd Chair was established in 2019 to support a faculty member who has a distinguished program in law.
Jason Rantanen, who became the inaugural holder of the Hammer and Willard Professorship in 2021, was elevated to Chair. Rantanen’s areas of scholarship include patent law, federal courts, civil procedure, and empirical legal studies. A faculty member at the College of Law since 2011, Rantanen serves as the associate dean for faculty and director of the Iowa Innovation, Business & Law Center. He is also faculty advisor to the Iowa Intellectual Property Law Society and students pursuing combined degrees and is a member of the American Law Institute.
Herschel G. Langdon Clinical Professor of Trial Advocacy: Alison K. Guernsey
The Herschel G. Langdon Professorship of Trial Advocacy was established in 2002 to recognize faculty with a distinguished record in trial advocacy. The professorship honors outstanding teaching, research, and service in the field of trial advocacy.
Alison K. Guernsey directs the College of Law’s Federal Criminal Defense Clinic. In this role, she supervises students representing indigent clients charged with federal offenses. Under her guidance, students gain valuable hands-on experience practicing in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa, as well as before the U.S. Court of Appeals. After receiving her JD from Iowa Law in 2008, Guernsey worked as a supervising attorney for the Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho.
F. Arnold Daum Chair in Corporate Law: Joseph Yockey
The F. Arnold Daum Chair in Corporate Law was established in 1998 to support excellence in research and teaching at the University of Iowa College of Law.
Joseph Yockey teaches and writes in the areas of corporate law, artificial intelligence, compliance, social enterprise, and higher education. He is co-editor of the Cambridge Handbook of Social Enterprise Law, and his scholarship appears in leading law journals throughout the country. His research focuses on emerging intersections between law, innovation, and ethics. A dedicated leader on campus, Yockey has previously served as president of the University of Iowa Faculty Senate and is the cofounder and faculty advisor for Iowa Law’s First-Generation Lawyers student organization. Prior to joining Iowa Law, Yockey practiced corporate litigation at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago.