On retirement from the U.S. Senate in 1999, Ambassador Coats joined former Senate Majority Leaders Bob Dole and George Mitchell as Special Counsel with the Washington law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand.

Before his election to the U.S. Congress, Ambassador Coats served as Indiana Director for then Congressman Dan Quayle, from 1977-1980. Prior to his career in politics, he was Assistant Vice President of a Fort Wayne, Indiana, life insurance company. Ambassador Coats served in the U.S. Army from 1966-68.

As Senator, Ambassador Coats was a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, serving as Chairman of the Military Personnel and Air/Land Forces Subcommittees. He also served on the Senate Select Committee for Intelligence and the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. In the Senate, he joined with Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman in advocating and authorizing a number of defense reform and transformation initiatives.

Ambassador Coats is the author of The Project for American Renewal and Mending Fences: Renewing Justice Between Government and Civil Society. He is a past President of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and has served on a number of boards, and civic and volunteer organizations, including the Center for Jewish and Christian Values, which he co-chaired with Senator Lieberman.

Ambassador Coats is a graduate of Wheaton College and holds a juris doctor degree from Indiana University School of Law, where he was Associate Editor of the Law Review. He holds three honorary doctoral degrees.

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