Faculty Spotlight: Jesse Peace

Jesse Peace

I am an adjunct instructor for the Eastern Kentucky University’s Regional Criminal Justice Program. I began teaching at EKU in 2017 and have students that attend class from the regional sites and campuses. I completed my undergraduate work at the University of Louisville and Union College where I earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration.  I completed my Juris Doctorate at Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law.  I am admitted to practice law throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as well as in the Federal District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky.  After law school, I founded the law firm of Peace Law, PLLC, and currently practice in a wide range of areas, including bankruptcy, plaintiff-based litigation, domestic law, and criminal defense.  My firm currently has offices in Corbin and Somerset.  I also strive to positively engage in the community and serve on the Board of Directors of the Greater Corbin Housing Board in addition to volunteering with several other community-based projects.

What do you like best about SJS at the Regional campuses?

I completed my doctorate degree while working full-time and supporting a growing family, so I have the utmost respect for students who are working to balance their academic and other responsibilities.  Law school programs have stringent in-person attendance requirements, which resulted in my commuting from Corbin to just outside of Cincinnati three to four times per week for several years.  Having personally experienced this commute and time commitment firsthand, I am very excited to be a part of a program that delivers a quality education to the students at the Regional Campuses and Sites without the need for the students to travel.  I feel this program gives students a much better opportunity to focus on their studies or spend more time with family.         

Why did you go into teaching?

As an attorney, I spend a lot of my time communicating and articulating information to my clients, opposing counsels, and judges.   Even prior to practicing law, I found myself gravitating towards professional roles in which conveying information was a key component.  Teaching is something we all do every day in some capacity, and the opportunity to educate on the collegiate level is simply something I really enjoy.  The chance to enlighten—and hopefully inspire—is something in which I take a lot of pride and hope to do for many years to come.                    

What do you like most about teaching at the regional campuses?

I really enjoy the opportunity to engage with students from the various campuses around the region.  While each campus and community is similar, I have found that students from these different areas can offer a variety of viewpoints and experiences.  This diversity not only contributes important differing insights to class discussions, but I also learn from my students in this way. This two-way learning and growth is what I enjoy most about teaching at Regional Campuses and Sites.           

How do you make a difference in our Regional campus students' lives?

I feel that one of the greatest opportunities to make a difference in students’ lives is to engage and inspire.  I think we all can look back at educators that made a difference in our own lives, and I strive to do this by sharing my personal and professional experiences.  Many times, undergraduate students are still developing the specifics of their career goals, and any time I can help progress and expound these goals, it is a great pleasure.  Regional Campus Criminal Justice Program also offers the unique benefit of facilitating these discussions simultaneously over great distances through the use of technology, which only makes the value that much greater.           

Any advice to current EKU/SJS students?

My advice to any current EKU/SJS regional students is very simple—don’t underestimate your ability to learn, grow, and achieve.  You are only limited by how hard you choose to work.  That’s it.  Finally, no one can define your success but you.  However you define success, be assured it is within your power to achieve so long as you are willing to work for it.   

Advice to prospective EKU/SJS Regional campuses students?

The Regional Criminal Justice program encompasses a broad field of study with a number of very interesting career paths.  I’ve had numerous conversations with my students during which they have shared that they entered the program with a certain career in mind, but later pursued an alternate career path based on the courses at EKU/SJS Regional Campuses.  My advice would be to enter the program with an open and inquiring mind.             

Published on February 27, 2017