Just 22 months after launching the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history, the University of Tennessee College of Law has reached its $45 million goal.
Dean Melanie D. Wilson credited the college’s dedicated alumni and friends who have responded thus far with unprecedented generosity.
“The response from our UT Law community has been inspiring and encouraging, and leaves us anticipating the final three years of the campaign and the impact that it will have on our students and faculty as well as the future of the college,” Wilson said.
This is a significant milestone for the College of Law in it’s ongoing fundraising efforts which will continue through 2020 as part of UT’s Join the Journey campaign. The effort to raise $45 million since 2012 is triple the college’s last campaign, and fundraising goals have been met and exceeded multiple times.
The College of Law enrolls nearly 370 J.D. students and boasts nearly 8,000 alumni. Gifts from donors help the College of Law award scholarships that lead to a high-achieving student body, including first-generation college students, students from rural Tennessee, and those who are members of the military. Endowed professorships are likewise key to recruiting world-class faculty members.
Through the College of Law’s centers and programs, funded through generous donations, students participate in mock trial events, represent UT in moot court competitions, and serve clients who otherwise lack adequate legal representation. These experiences are possible because of our Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution, the Clayton Center for Entrepreneurial Law, the Institute for Professional Leadership, and the Legal Clinic, the longest-running program of its kind in the country.
“Support from our alumni and friends is critical to our mission and key to our continued success,” Wilson said. “We are committed to improving our value to our students and the community. These gifts help ensure that we accomplish that.”