U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi will present the Hiram H. Lesar Distinguished Lecture. (Photo provided)
January 21, 2025
U.S. Rep. Krishnamoorthi to discuss public service at SIU Simmons Law School Lesar Lecture
CARBONDALE, Ill. — U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois will discuss his time in Congress and a few of his signature legislative achievements when he presents the Hiram H. Lesar Distinguished Lecture on Monday, Jan. 27, at Southern Illinois University’s Simmons Law School.
Krishnamoorthi’s free, public presentation “Life in Public Service and Governance: Peoria to Washington, D.C.” is at 6 p.m. in the Lesar Law Building Room 102. This is the 27th lecture in the series established to honor founding Dean Hiram H. Lesar. A reception starts the festivities at 5:30 p.m. in the law school’s formal lounge.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rep. Krishnamoorthi to SIU Simmons Law School,” said Angela Upchurch, acting dean of the law school. “His unique perspective as a lawyer and lawmaker, drawn from his personal journey and his distinguished time in Congress, will offer valuable lessons in leadership, governance and the complexities of political life.”
Krishnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg, is entering his fifth term in Congress; he was first elected in 2016. He represents the Illinois 8th District, which includes Chicago’s west and northwest suburbs, along with the city’s 41st Ward. He is the ranking Democratic member of the House’s Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and China.
Media availability
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg, will be available for interviews before the lecture, starting at 5:30 p.m. in the law school’s administrative suite conference room, Room 0131. To arrange for interviews, contact Carly Holtkamp, director of external relations, SIU Simmons Law School, at carly.holtkamp@siu.edu or 618-453-8312.
“It’s an honor to be selected to provide the 2025 Hiram H. Lesar Distinguished Lecture at the Southern Illinois University Simmons School of Law, and I am grateful to my friend, former Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, for hosting this event,” Krishnamoorthi said. “I look forward to sharing with attendees how my upbringing in Illinois has shaped my approach to advocacy and governance throughout my time in public service.”
Simon, who served as Illinois’ lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2015, is acting associate dean and associate professor of law at SIU.
A child of immigrants and raised in Peoria, Krishnamoorthi graduated from Princeton University with a degree in mechanical engineering and a certificate from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. He graduated with honors from Harvard Law School. In Illinois, prior to his election, Krishnamoorthi was on the board of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, served as special assistant attorney general in an anticorruption unit and was deputy state treasurer. He also was president of a small Chicago-area tech business.
In Congress, Krishnamoorthi also serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability as a member of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs. He is a vice chair of the Equality Caucus, co-chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Immigration Task Force, and founder and chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus to End the Youth Vaping Epidemic and the bipartisan Solar Caucus.