Fordham Law Centennial Raises Bar for Fund Raising

With three months to go in its year long centennial celebration, Fordham Law School is having record-shattering success in fund raising, having received more than $19.3 million in gifts and pledges for the 2006 fiscal year as of June 14.

“Fund raising is critical to the future of the Law School,” said William Treanor, J.D., dean and professor of law. “Legal education is significantly more expensive than it ever was—clinical education, to take one example, requires a low faculty-to-student ratio; in most cases this ratio is as low as 8:1. In a standard class, the ratio can be as high as 150:1. This success is a great step in building the long-term viability of our programs.”

Working with Julie Lucas, assistant dean for advancement, Treanor initiated an aggressive fund-raising campaign last year to coincide with the Law School’s centennial. The total raised thus far in the centennial year is nearly three times greater than the $6.9 million raised in 2005. Included in these efforts is the establishment of five new chairs, each made possible through gifts of $2 million or more.

“Chairs are the gold standard in the world of academics, allowing us to recruit and retain leading scholars,” said Treanor. “The gift of these chairs is of incredible importance to the future of the Law School.”

The Law School created a new group, Centennial Founders, to recognize alumni and friends who have donated $100,000 or more—a group that has more than 80 members to date. Fordham Law’s Annual Fund—unrestricted giving that can be used to address pressing needs and establish new initiatives—is also dramatically ahead of where it was this time last year. As of June 2006, the fund has received $4.5 million in gifts, compared to just $2.3 million at the same time last year.

Treanor credits Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University, with a deep commitment to advancement, which lies at the heart of the Law School’s success.

“Father McShane has made clear from the beginning of his tenure that the future of the University is linked to increasing Fordham’s financial base through development,” Treanor said. “He has encouraged us and the whole community to work toward achieving the goal of moving from tuition dependence.”

In May, Treanor was profiled in the New York Sun as “a new centurion,” in an article titled “Activist Dean Lifts Fordham Law’s Profile.” The wide-ranging interview discussed Fordham Law graduates’ substantial representation at top law firms, their commitment to public service, the Law School’s mission and Treanor’s leadership philosophy.