Law school fundraising campaign sets record

Following the lead of the University's "...and for Yale" campaign, which became the largest university fundraising drive ever by raising $1.7 billion, the Yale Law School just completed its own record-breaking campaign by bringing in over $180 million over the last five years.

The primary focus of the drive, which set an all-time record for donations to a legal institution, was to raise funds needed to renovate the Sterling Law building. According to Law School Dean Anthony Kronman, LAW '75 no major changes had been made to the building since it was built in 1931. Half of the money raised will go towards modernizing the Sterling Law building's facilities. After the renovation, law students will have access to new computers and research technologies. The Law School will also use the funds to improve the Sterling Law Quadrangle's courtyard and residential housing for law students.

Though the original goal of the campaign was to raise $130 million, it exceeded that goal by over 40 percent. The largest source of funds for the campaign came from alumni. This was especially surprising considering that the Law School's 9,600 alumni are a relatively small group compared to the number of alumni at most of the nation's other law schools. "I am honored to have been part of the most successful capital campaign in the history of legal education," Oscar Ruehausen, LAW '37, said.

"Alumni are frantically loyal to this place," Associate Law School Dean Caroll Stevens said. "They genuinely feel that it set them on their intellectual course."

A percentage of the proceeds from the campaign will go towards a loan forgiveness and deferral program for graduates who go into public service. "A large number of our graduates go on to work with public interest law firms," Kronman said.

The law school hopes that this innovation will allow its graduates to pursue careers in fields that truly interest them despite the fact that they do not pay as well as other careers. "The program levels the playing field for graduates who want to take jobs in the government or who want to teach," Kronman commented.

The rest of the funds will be used to invite visiting professors and create 17 endowed professorships in areas such as international law, property, and family law.

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