Online discussion and live Q&A featuring Jim Townsend, Director of the Levin Center at Wayne State University Law School
On Wednesday, April 21, we learned about the long and distinguished career of Senator Carl Levin. The Senator has a new book out on Wayne State University Press Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36 Years in the Senate.
Representing Michigan for thirty-six years in the U.S. Senate, Carl Levin, the longest-serving senator in Michigan history, was known for his dogged pursuit of the truth, his commitment to holding government accountable, and his basic decency. Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36 Years in the Senate is his story — from his early days in Detroit as the son of a respected lawyer to the capstone of his career as chair of both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Levin’s career placed him at the center of some of our nation’s most critical points in modern times: from the aftermath of the 1967 Detroit riots to the Clinton impeachment, through 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the 2008 financial crisis. He met with numerous world leaders, including Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and China’s Jiang Zemin. Getting to the Heart of the Matter recounts Levin’s experiences, thoughts, and actions during these historic moments.
Joining us that night to talk about the book, Senator Levin’s career, and the Senator’s current work at the Levin Center at the WSU Law School was Levin Center Director Jim Townsend.
Live sessions of Our American Values are hosted by Ted Everingham, former Chairman and current Board member of The War Memorial.
About Jim Townsend
James H. (Jim) Townsend, a former member of the Michigan legislature, was named director of the Levin Center at Wayne Law in November 2019. Previously, Townsend practiced law in the Detroit office of Butzel Long as a member of its Corporate and Real Estate Practice Group. Prior to joining the firm, he represented the 26th District in the Michigan House of Representatives. He serves on the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's advisory council of the Redevelopment Ready Communities® program.
Before his career in law, Townsend was legislative director for the office of U.S. Representative Nita M. Lowey and worked for U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg. Townsend's private sector experience includes working as a brand manager at Ford Motor Company, founding and directing the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, and leading economic development at the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. Townsend earned his J.D. at Wayne Law, his bachelor's at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.B.A. and Master of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.