A $2 million gift has been made to the University of Tennessee College of Law in the name of the Chattanooga-based law firm of Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers, P.C.
The gift will support UT Law’s Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution, Legal Clinic, the Douglas Blaze Professorship, and scholarships for students interested in pursuing legal careers in advocacy.
Firm attorney Marya Wegenka Schalk, a 2005 graduate of UT Law, spoke of the firm’s abiding support of the law school.
“The gift to the University of Tennessee College of Law is a continuation of the support our firm has had for the law school over the years. Four of our attorneys are UT Law graduates, and we hope that with this gift, the law school continues the meaningful work it does in shaping the legal profession here in Chattanooga, in Tennessee, and beyond.”
UT Law Dean Lonnie T. Brown, Jr. expressed his deep appreciation for the firm’s continuing investment in the College of Law. “Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers has been a valued friend and supporter of the College of Law for many years,” Brown said. “Because of the firm’s generosity, we have been able to build and sustain a first-rate advocacy program that consistently produces graduates who are distinctly prepared to hit the ground running once they begin practice. We are profoundly grateful for the firm’s continued commitment and support.” Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers was founded in 1969 by Jerry H. Summers, a 1966 UT Law alumnus. Mr. Summers is one of the founders of the College of Law’s Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution and is a longstanding member of the College’s Dean’s Council. Jeffrey Rufolo and Jimmy F. Rodgers, Jr. are likewise UT Law alumni, having graduated in 1991 and 1994, respectively. Benjamin L. McGowan is also a member of the firm.
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