Best-selling author and CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin will present the 2017 Docking Lecture on Thursday, March 2, at 11 a.m., on the campus of Southwestern College.  The Docking Lecture Series is sponsored by Union State Bank and the Docking Family.

The public is invited to attend and there will be no admission charge. (Click here to reserve tickets.)

“Union State Bank, Tom Docking, and I are delighted to partner with Southwestern College in bringing Jeffrey Toobin to Southwestern’s campus,” says Bill Docking, chairman of the board at Union State Bank. “He is an excellent communicator who provides insightful analysis whether commenting on legal matters, politics, or a host of other topics. I’ve enjoyed watching him on CNN and have read several of his books. In fact, I recently read ‘American Heiress,’ his riveting account of Patricia Hearst’s kidnapping and the incredible events that followed. It’s a pleasure to help bring a speaker of Jeffrey Toobin’s stature to Southwestern College.”

Toobin received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

After a six-year tenure at ABC News, where he covered the country’s highest-profile cases and received a 2000 Emmy Award for his coverage of the Elian Gonzales custody saga, Toobin joined CNN as a legal analyst in 2002. He now serves the network as senior analyst. 

Toobin has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1993 and has written articles on such subjects as Roman Polanski and the Bernie Madoff scandal. He also has written profiles of Justices Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer, John Paul Stevens, and of Chief Justice John Roberts. His article, “An Incendiary Defense,” broke the news that the O.J. Simpson defense team planned to accuse Mark Fuhrman of planting evidence and to play “the race card.”

Prior to joining The New Yorker, Toobin served as an assistant United States attorney in Brooklyn. He also was an associate counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel Lawrence E. Walsh, an experience that provided the basis for his first book, “Opening Arguments: A Young Lawyer’s First Case: United States v. Oliver North.” Toobin’s other books also take behind-the-scenes looks at the legal system. “A Vast Conspiracy” explored the investigation and impeachment of Bill Clinton; “The Run of His Life” closely examined the workings of the criminal justice system in the O.J. Simpson trial; “The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court” was listed on the New York Times best-seller list for more than four months.

The Docking Lecture is underwritten by Union State Bank and by William and Thomas Docking.  

The Docking family has played a prominent role in Kansas government and politics for over half a century. In 1956 George Docking was elected governor of Kansas.  He served two terms, leaving office in 1961. His son, Robert Docking, was elected governor in 1966 and served four two-year terms, more than any other Kansas governor, leaving office in 1975.  

Robert Docking’s sons have continued the family’s commitment to public service.  William Docking was appointed to the Kansas Higher Education Board of Regents in 1995, and served as its chair.  Thomas Docking was lieutenant governor of Kansas from 1983 to 1987, during the governorship of John Carlin.

“We at Southwestern College are so grateful that the Docking family and Union State Bank have made it possible to bring leading authorities who specialize on a range of topics to Southwestern College. Their presence on campus allows for academic discovery,” said Brad Andrews, president of Southwestern College. “We are absolutely delighted to announce that Mr. Toobin will be coming to our community in March. He is an expert on matters concerning the national judicial system and will offer valuable and interesting insight for students, faculty, and community members alike.”

Southwestern College is a private institution granting undergraduate and graduate degrees and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.  About 1,700 students attend classes at the main Winfield campus, at six professional studies sites in Kansas and Oklahoma, or online around the world.

Union State Bank has been locally-owned and operated in Cowley County since 1908. With approximately $300 million in total assets and 10 locations, Union State Bank serves South Central Kansas and North Central Oklahoma with comprehensive banking solutions and expertise. Union State provides a wide range of financial products and services for individuals and businesses including checking, savings, loans and lines of credit, mortgages, credit cards, online services, and investments.