Dean's Statement

The Law School launched its capital campaign in 2006 with a goal of $150 million.  It is part of the University’s $3 billion capital campaign—the largest in the history of public education.  We are proud to be part of that effort. Because the Law School is now financially independent, support from our alumni and friends is more important than ever.

Our enduring strength is an unmatched student experience, and the quality and availability of that experience are the cornerstones of this campaign.  More than half of our $150 million goal is targeted at financial aid, from scholarships that cover part of tuition to a loan forgiveness program for students who pursue public service careers.  Today’s students—tomorrow’s alumni—have varied financial circumstances and diverse career goals.  Moreover, our top applicants invariably have opportunities elsewhere, which often come with generous financial aid packages.  We must be able to meet financial need and match external opportunities in order to attract the very finest students to Virginia.

The core of the student experience is exceptional teaching, grounded both in theory and practical application, by professors who are at the forefront of their fields.  We accordingly have identified a portion of the campaign for faculty support and curricular innovation.  In recent years, competition among law schools for the most talented teachers and researchers has increased substantially and we are determined to keep pace.

Quality teaching has been a constant in the life of the Law School.  What is new is the level of service we seek to provide our students, the employers who recruit them, and the applicants who hope to join our community.  This, too, has become a mark of excellence in law school education.  Part of the campaign will support the people and facilities through which we serve applicants, students, alumni, and recruiters.

Our motto for the campaign, shown at the top of this page, is “The American Ideal in Legal Education.”  This is no idle boast.  It reflects what I believe to be true:  that Virginia provides not merely the finest, but the most admirable, legal education in the nation—one that combines intellectual seriousness with a sense of community, hard work with camaraderie, the acquisition of skills with the desire to use those skills for the benefit of others.  These are qualities and values worthy of support.  I hope you will join us in advancing this ideal.

Dean Paul G. Mahoney