Former U.S. Congressman Jim Turner, Who Served as Ranking Minority Member on House Select Committee on Homeland Security, Joins Arnold & Porter
Washington, D.C., April 5, 2005 - The international law firm of Arnold & Porter LLP announced today that former U.S. Congressman Jim Turner has joined its public policy and government contracts practice as a partner in the firm's Washington office. Turner has over 20 years of service in elective office at the local, state, and federal levels. Most recently, Turner served eight years in Congress, representing the Second Congressional District of Texas, where he rose to become the ranking minority member of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security. He also served as the ranking member on the Armed Services Committee's Terrorism Subcommittee and as the ranking member of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee's Government Management, Information, and Technology Subcommittee.
Turner's former Chief of Staff, Elizabeth Hurley Burks, who is not an attorney, has also joined the firm as the Senior Policy and Legislative Advisor. Burks, a 12-year Hill veteran, worked for Congresswoman Blanche Lambert Lincoln, who is now the senior senator from Arkansas, before joining Turner.
"Jim is widely respected on both sides of the aisle in Congress and has proven abilities in building a successful public policy and lobbying practice," said Arnold & Porter Chairman Michael Sohn. "His skills will be of great value to our clients with a wide range of issues, but particularly those involving homeland security, and in the defense and aerospace industry."
"Jim has developed a deep understanding of national security, defense, terrorism, and border security issues," said Jeffrey Smith, head of the firm's public policy and government contracts group. "His experience and outstanding reputation will strengthen our national security and homeland security practices, particularly on matters relating to cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, export control, economic sanctions, and trade regulation, as well as threats of bioterrorism."
Turner will add a critical dimension to the firm's national security expertise and will join Smith, who served as General Counsel of the Senate Armed Services Committee and as the General Counsel of the CIA, and Ronald Lee, who served as General Counsel of the National Security Agency and as Associate Deputy Attorney General and Director of the Executive Office of National Security in the Department of Justice.
Commenting on his arrival at the firm, Turner said "I look forward to continuing to be involved in the public policy and legislative arena with the outstanding talent assembled at Arnold & Porter."
Former Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, the coalition of conservative pro-business Democrats in the House, Turner was a member of Congress from 1997 to 2004. He also served as a Deputy Whip of the Democratic Caucus from 1999 to 2004. Before serving in the U.S. Congress, he was a member of the Texas State Senate (1991-1996); Chief of Staff and Chief Legislative Liaison to Texas Governor Mark White (1985-1986); a partner in Hughes and Luce LLP in Austin, Texas (1986-1988); and a member of the Texas House of Representatives (1981-1984). Congressman Turner also served as captain in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1970 to 1978. After graduating from law school, he was named a law clerk for Justice Price Daniel, Sr. on the Texas Supreme Court. He practiced law for over 20 years in his hometown of Crockett, Texas, where he also served as Mayor.
Turner serves as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A & M University. He is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law where he was an associate editor of the Texas Law Review. He holds a B.B.A. and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.