The University of Washington School of Law has made headlines with a remarkable $45 million gift, marking the largest single donation to a U.S. law school in 2024. This generous contribution comes from the estate of Stan and Alta Barer and will significantly enhance the school’s existing international leadership program, which focuses on supporting lawyers from developing countries.
University officials announced the transformative gift on Tuesday, emphasizing its impact on funding Master of Laws degrees for attorneys seeking to strengthen their expertise and promote sustainable development in their home nations. This contribution stands out in a year that has seen relatively modest donations to law schools across the country.
For context, other notable contributions this year include a $10 million donation that led to the rebranding of Southern Illinois University’s law school to the Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School, as well as a $10 million gift to the University of Missouri from an anonymous donor. Additionally, Creighton University School of Law announced a $9.7 million donation from the estate of alumnus James Menehan last month.
The University of Washington’s gift is set to amplify the mission of the Barer Institute for Leadership in Law & Global Development, founded in 2010. This institute is dedicated to bringing mid-career attorneys from developing nations to the law school for a year of study, equipping them with the tools needed to address complex global challenges.
Stan Barer, a 1963 graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, had a distinguished career as an attorney for the U.S. Senate, where he played a pivotal role in drafting the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In the early 1980s, he co-founded a successful transportation and distribution company. Stan Barer passed away in 2021, while his wife, Alta, passed away in 2019.
In the current landscape of legal education, law schools increasingly rely on philanthropy to fund student financial aid, endow faculty positions, and expand programming. This latest donation not only reinforces the University of Washington’s commitment to fostering legal education but also highlights the vital role of donations in shaping the future of the legal profession.
As discussions about the direction of legal education continue, including calls from federal appeals court judges for a focus on “originalism,” the University of Washington’s investment in international legal education signals a progressive step towards preparing lawyers for a globally interconnected world.
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