Law school reaches historic $30 million fundraising goal

The School of Law is celebrating the success of the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the school’s history, announcing that the seven-year Campaign for UB School of Law has reached its $30 million goal.

The campaign is providing scholarship assistance, faculty support, and programming and facilities improvements at the school, the only public law school in the SUNY system.

The campaign resulted in six major commitments of at least $1 million, including a $4 million deferred gift commitment, and also yielded broad connections with the Law School’s alumni base, engaging more than 6,000 donors. The school’s endowment has doubled since the campaign began in 2009.

“This is a great day for all of us, and especially our alumni and friends, so many of whom stepped up to help us meet the largest fundraising goal in the history of the school,” said Interim Dean James A. Gardner. “This is a significant accomplishment, not just for Law but for the entire university and its philanthropy program.”

President Satish K. Tripathi congratulated Gardner and the entire UB School of Law on reaching “this tremendous milestone.”

“The success of this campaign demonstrates the strong support for both the School of Law, and UB more broadly, by our many alumni and university friends who are vitally important as we build even further upon our vision of excellence and deepen our impact as a world-class public research university,” Tripathi said.

Nancy Wells, vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement, echoed Tripathi’s comments. “We are very grateful for the generous support of our law alumni and friends,” Wells said. “They have enthusiastically contributed to UB’s School of Law campaign and they remain dedicated to the school’s continuing success.”

As a result of the campaign, Gardner said, the law school has more than tripled the amount of scholarship aid awarded to students; added five named faculty positions; enhanced teaching technology in John Lord O’Brian Hall, the school’s home; and provided major support to the New York City Program on Finance & Law, the Advocacy Institute and the Discover Law program for promising minority undergraduates considering a career in law.

“These enhancements, made possible through the generous campaign commitments received, provide a strong foundation for the School moving forward,” he said.