Graduating Class Gift

Each year since 1989, the graduating class has raised funds to commemorate their time at the Law School and to demonstrate their collective support. There are many reasons to give back to Northwestern Law. Whether you give because you proud, because you’re grateful for your education and experience, or because you want to take an active role in the school’s future successes, each and every contribution to the Class Gift—regardless of size—will fuel important initiatives at the school and help enhance Northwestern Law’s reputation.

With a goal of 100% participation from the graduating class, students may choose to direct their gift to the designations below that best fit their philanthropic priorities:

Average Northwestern Law School Funding Sources
  • Law School Fund Unrestricted
  • Portraits of Diverse Alumni
  • Creating Opportunities Program
  • Public Service Fellowship Program
  • Bluhm Legal Clinic
  • Scholarship Support
  • LLM Program Support
  • LLM Tax Program Support
  • JD-MBA Scholarship

Make your gift today!

Law School Fund Unrestricted
Unrestricted support through the Law School Fund supports the school’s operating budget and provides the flexibility for the school’s administration to fund important initiatives and programs. Whether used to provide additional financial aid, upgrade classrooms and facilities, hire new faculty, or supplement student programming and activities, gifts through the Law School Fund are carefully used in the areas of greatest need.

Portraits of Diverse Alumni
As you know, the walls of our school are adorned with portraits of many of our successful alumni. In order to more accurately represent students and alumni at Northwestern Law, this fund was established to create portraits of alumni from diverse backgrounds to be displayed on the walls throughout the school. Currently, alumni have been chosen to represent SALSA, APALSA, LLSA, WLC, and BLSA. Gifts to this fund will support the creation of these portraits. When the funds contributed by the Class of 2010 and our class exceed the amount needed to fund the first five portraits, SBA leadership will work with student affinity groups and the administration to select the next alumnus/a to be painted.

Creating Opportunities Program
The Creating Opportunities Program (COP) was established to create paid, part-time, on-campus jobs for Northwestern Law students as a means to help students earn money while supporting important initiatives that would otherwise be inadequately served or funded. All students enrolled in a full-time program at Northwestern Law are eligible to apply, and opportunities created for students are to benefit the entire Northwestern Law community. A stipend will be paid to participating students at the conclusion of their term worked. COP funds will become available starting in fall 2012 as class of 2010 pledges are fulfilled.

Public Service Fellowship Program
The Public Service Fellowship Program (PSFP) assists in the repayment of student loans for graduates who work in public service. Awards are granted to alumni based on their income and debt amounts, and are issued in the form of one-year forgivable loans. If the graduate remains in a qualifying position for one year, the PSFP loan is forgiven in its entirety. During the 2010-11 academic year, gifts to the PSFP have assisted in supporting 48 graduates pursuing a variety of careers ranging from public defenders to Skadden Fellows to Legal Aid associates.

Bluhm Legal Clinic
Gifts to the Bluhm Legal Clinic provide unrestricted support for the areas of greatest need within the clinic’s 12 centers and programs. Spent in its entirety each year, the Legal Clinic Campaign fund helps provide hands-on experience for more than 160 students who participate in clinical coursework each semester. Philanthropic support allows the clinic to continue providing unique learning opportunities, cover case-related expenses, serve the community by providing low- or no-cost legal representation, and impact the legal community at large by promoting and advocating reform.

Scholarship Support
The Scholarship Support fund grants Northwestern Law the flexibility to award additional scholarships each year. Scholarship support is vital in keeping Northwestern Law affordable and attractive to the most qualified students. Having additional resources to provide financial aid allows Northwestern Law to attract the talented, diverse, and esteemed student body for which we are known. Gifts to the Scholarship Support fund not only provide the funding to make a Northwestern Law degree obtainable for deserving students, but also help propel the school’s reputation by admitting a high caliber student body.

LLM Program Support
The LLM Program Support fund was established this year to provide unrestricted support to the areas of greatest need in the LLM programs. Gifts to the LLM Program Support Fund will be put to use to supplement academic and student-life programming specifically for LLMs, including initiatives led by the International Programs Office, ESL services, academic workshops, career services, and helping students adapt to life in Chicago.

LLM Tax Program Support
Similar to the general LLM Program Support fund, gifts to the LLM Tax Program Support fund provide unrestricted support to the LLM Tax Program in areas of critical importance. Philanthropic support of the LLM Tax Program helps keep the student-faculty ratio low and student programming high, while also attracting leading academics and professionals to the LLM faculty. Supporting the LLM Tax Program will help ensure its continued success as one of the top-ranked programs in the country.

JD-MBA Scholarship
The JD-MBA Scholarship fund was established to provide scholarships to students enrolled in the JD-MBA program at Northwestern Law and Kellogg. This permanently endowed scholarship will keep our JD-MBA program attractive and affordable for the most qualified candidates.


The 2011 Class Gift Co-Chairs
Kathy Cernocky & Richard Hu

The 2011 Class Gift Committee
Patricia Adams, Cathy Biglari, Shanelle Booker, Pablo Cervantes, Layla Dotson, Michael Flanigan, Orly Henry, Fabiola Magnaghi, Dan McGirr, Josh Pasquesi, Jasmine Talton, Sebastian Villaveces

If you have any questions about the class gift, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations and Development at (312) 503-7609.