You Hold the Key to Law School's Future

Dear Alumni and Friends,

In 1884, at the very first lecture of the new University of Oregon School of Law, Professor Richard Hopwood Thornton said, “The interests of the profession are so intimately connected with those of the public that nothing which substantially affects the one can be a matter of indifference to the other.” Since then, we have spent 120 years teaching Oregon lawyers, and our spirit stays true to our historical role as Oregon’s comprehensive public law school.

Our faculty and students constantly push us to meet the challenge of attracting the brightest students, retaining the best professors, and building the finest programs.

Now our future depends on decisions we make today, and you—our 5,000 alumni and our friends—hold the key to that future. We need your help to preserve and enhance the excellence you experienced as a student at the University of Oregon School of Law.

Doubling our endowment from the current $12 million to $24 million or more will make it possible for us to compete with our peers for the top students in the country by offering more financial aid and enhancing our superb professional skills programs. A larger endowment will also enable us to retain our top faculty members and recruit the best in the field through endowed faculty positions and increased research support. It will also boost our vision of a truly great law library and help maintain and enhance our wonderful building.

As we learned from your generosity in supporting our new building, private funds are the key to achieving our vision. Clearly we can no longer have the kind of law school Oregon needs with public funds alone.

With your help, we will continue moving the law school forward, transforming lives and building a better future for our state and our nation.

Laird Kirkpatrick, J.D. ’68
Philip H. Knight Dean, Hershner Professor of Jurisprudence
University of Oregon School of Law