Join City Club and Former Idaho Chief Justice, Jim Jones, as he shares his perspective on ways to treat the world’s ‘huddled masses’.

 

Jim Jones became acquainted with the plight of war victims --refugees and orphans -- during his tour of duty in Vietnam with the U.S. Army in 1968-69.

 

His presentation draws on that experience in addressing why he believes the United States should keep its doors open to refugees and immigrants. Jones gives his perspective on why our country has a responsibility to provide refuge to war victims, including indigenous forces and interpreters who endangered their lives by helping U.S. troops.

 

He argues that it is in the national interest to maintain a policy of welcoming more legal immigrants to our country, as well as treating with compassion those who are productive residents even after having entered unlawfully.

 

Speaker Biography: Jim Jones is an Idaho native, who grew up on his family’s farm in Eden. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1964 and received his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago in 1967. Jim served as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army, including a 13-month tour in Vietnam. He served as legislative assistant to former U.S. Senator Len B. Jordan for three years, commencing in 1970. He started a law practice in Jerome in 1973 and maintained it until he was elected as Idaho Attorney General in 1982. Jim served two elected terms as Attorney General. Following the completion of his second term, he established a private law practice in Boise, which he maintained until being elected to the Idaho Supreme Court in 2004. He was re-elected in 2010. Jim served as Chief Justice from August 2015 until his retirement from the Supreme Court in January 2017. Jim is currently an “of counsel” member of Parsons Behle & Latimer in Boise. He is married to Boise author Kelly Jones. They have three children and eight grandchildren.