Valerie Jarrett, former senior advisor to President Obama. Credit: Pete Souza/ White House

Valerie Jarrett, formerly senior advisor to President Barack Obama, will join the University of Chicago Law School as a senior fellow on Jan. 1.

Jarrett is no stranger to the University of Chicago community. She served as vice chair of the university's board of trustees and chair of the board of trustees of the University of Chicago Medical Center. Immediately before joining the Obama administration, she was chief executive officer of The Habitat Company, a real estate development and management company.

“Valerie Jarrett's experience in the White House, her understanding of issues in law, policy and public service, and her deep personal connections to the University of Chicago will bring extraordinary experience and perspective to our community,” Robert Zimmer, president of the University of Chicago, said in a statement. “I am pleased that her involvement in the law school and across the university will provide our students, faculty, and community at large the opportunity to learn from and with her, amplified by this rich experience and history.”