Russ Feingold to Teach at Marquette Law School

Russ Feingold will become the latest ex-senator to go on to teach law, after Marquette University announced Wednesday the Wisconsin Democrat would join its faculty in the spring.

Feingold, who lost his bid for a fourth term to Republican Ron Johnson, will teach an elective course called "Current Legal Issues: The U.S. Senate" to upper-level law students, the Wisconsin school said in a statement on its website.

"Senator Feingold joins Marquette Law School with a substantial academic, legal and legislative background," said Joseph D. Kearney, dean of Marquette University Law School. "He will draw on all of this in working with students in their analysis of some of the most complex legal issues facing our nation and world today."

A native of the Dairy State, Feingold earned his undergraduate degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison. After being selected as a Rhodes scholar, he went on to become an honors law graduate of both Oxford University and Harvard University. He practiced law at two Wisconsin firms before turning to politics.

Feingold said while considering his next career move, "the opportunity to be in a Wisconsin classroom with engaged law students is one I found very appealing."

The former senator also plans on writing a book.

On Tuesday, the University of Pennsylvania announced it has hired former Sen. Arlen Specter to teach at its law school. Specter, a longtime Republican who switched parties and then lost Pennsylvania's Democratic primary, will teach a class on the relationship between Congress and the Supreme Court.