Former U.S. Associate Attorney General rejoining Lawrence Board of Trustees

A familiar face is returning to the Lawrence University Board of Trustees.

A Head shot of Former U.S. Associate Attorney General Bill Baer.
Bill Baer ’72

Bill Baer, who previously served on the board from 2001-2012, has been re-elected to a three-year term, effective Feb. 1.

On Jan. 20, Baer stepped down from his position as Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General, the third-ranking position in the U.S. Department of Justice, in conjunction with the completion of the Obama administration. Baer joined the DOJ’s Antitrust Division as Assistant Attorney General in December 2012, leaving the Lawrence’s Board of Trustees, where he had been vice chair for two years.

“Now that Bill has completed his assignments with the Justice Department, we are delighted to welcome him back to the Lawrence Board of Trustees where his legal experience, sound judgment and analytical skills will once again be a tremendous asset to our ongoing work and strategic planning,” said Susie Stillman Kane ’72. “Given his past leadership roles on the board, he also brings significant institutional knowledge and perspective to our work.”

A 1972 Lawrence graduate, Baer has established himself as one of the nation’s leading antitrust attorneys. He began his career at the Federal Trade Commission and beginning in 1980, spent 15 years as head of the antitrust division of the law firm of Arnold & Porter. In 2010, the National Law Journal named him as one of “the decade’s most influential lawyers” and the International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers named Baer the “leading competition lawyer in the world” in 2006 and 2007.

In his previous tenure on the board, Baer served on the search committee for Lawrence’s 16th president, Mark Burstein. He has been active on behalf of Lawrence, serving as an admissions volunteer, a campaign working group member for the university’s $160 million “More Light” campaign (2005-2011) and as a panelist with the Lawrence Scholars in Law program.

Baer, along with other family members, established the Joseph L. and Mary R. Baer Family Scholarship in recognition of his parents’ lifelong commitment to education.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in government from Lawrence, Baer earned his J.D. degree from Stanford Law School.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.”  Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.