Hutchinson joining University of Arkansas law school faculty

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R), who ran an unsuccessful 2024 presidential bid, will be joining the University of Arkansas School of Law next year, the institution said Thursday. 

Hutchinson, 73, will join the law school faculty as an “executive in residence” during the spring 2025 semester, the school said in the announcement. In the position, Arkansas’s 46th governor will teach a class on leadership in state and federal government. He will also participate in continuing legal education and moot court programs, the school said. 

“It’s an exciting time to join our faculty as we celebrate our centennial year,” said Cynthia Nance, dean of the Arkansas School of Law, in a statement.

“Governor Hutchinson’s professional career as an accomplished attorney and his political career as a United States representative, governor and presidential candidate make him an excellent addition to the law school community. We are thrilled for him to teach and to engage with the next generation of lawyers.”

Hutchinson was a two-term governor of the Natural State. He was one of the fiercest critics of former President Trump among 2024 GOP primary contenders before ending his run in mid-January. 

The former governor was appointed by former President Reagan as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. He represented Arkansas’s 3rd Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 1997 to 2001, became the director of the Drug Enforcement Administration under former President George W. Bush and later served as undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the administration.

Following his 2024 GOP primary exit, Hutchinson joined Scripps News in late April as a political analyst. 

“This is where it all began for me,” Hutchinson said in a statement about his latest role, referring to his law degree from the University of Arkansas. “To be here is an honor and exhilarating. To see the excitement of the students and their dedication to make a difference and pursue justice is inspiring.”