Members of the Dean’s Council are the Law School’s leading contributors of private support. Donors are recognized as associate and life members as their giving meets certain criteria.

Associate members give or pledge $25,000 for unrestricted use, or $50,000 for restricted use, within a five-year period, while life members give $250,000 or more to support any purpose.

Benjamin and Kendra Paul have supported the Law School annually since they graduated with the Class of 2008. In 2019, the couple committed to a five-year pledge, becoming associate members of the Dean’s Council.

“Ben and Kendra Paul’s generous unrestricted support allows the Law School to meet challenges as they arise and to direct resources where they are needed. This flexibility is so important to our success and stability. We are so grateful for Ben and Kendra’s commitment and our enduring relationship with them,” Dean Risa Goluboff said.

Paul children
Matthew (back) and Alex Paul ready to cheer on UVA Men’s Basketball to another NCAA championship.

The couple met while working at Deloitte in Chicago. Kendra always knew she would attend law school, while Ben was a late convert to the idea. Despite his initial apprehension, he immediately appreciated the sense of community.

“One of the wonderful things about UVA was the collegiality. No one felt like it was a zero-sum game, where if you win, I lose,” Ben said. “Everyone was working toward common goals and happy for everyone else’s successes. And that’s still true.

“In this profession you see a lot of people who are always measuring other people’s successes to try and figure out if they’re winning or losing. But my friends from law school are just happy for each other.” He recently acquired a plaque with a Theodore Roosevelt quote to remind him about what he learned at UVA, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Kendra echoed Ben’s sentiments and added, “Law school was one of the better times in our lives. We were married and got to live in Charlottesville—which is a great place. We made lifelong friends and it was a pretty simple, happy life.”

The couple retain a fondness and appreciation for the faculty and administrators who made their collective experience more meaningful.

“The person there who was most fundamental to our success was probably Dean Martha Ballenger,” Kendra said. Following a career spent in private practice, Martha Ballenger ’69 returned to the Law School from 2005-14 to serve as assistant dean for student affairs.

“She is an amazing human being. Ben and I were married and looking at law schools together. She talked to us about why UVA would be a good choice for us and then while we were there, she kept checking in with us. If we ever needed somebody to talk to, we knew she would be there. I really, really appreciated her,” Kendra added.

Ben shared how much Karen Moran, who taught legal writing, supported his efforts. “She was a huge part of my Law School experience—so encouraging and helpful, and her office was always open.” He also recalled how then-professor Jody Kraus encouraged his 1L students, by reminding them that the hard part was over—each had made it to UVA Law. Now they could and should enjoy the experience, each other’s company, and all they would learn.

In recognition and honor of their UVA Law experiences, the couple decided to make unrestricted financial support of the school a priority. “No one thinks about the basics of running an institution. The systems are expensive. Those wood lockers are expensive. I still remember the first time I came to UVA, seeing those lockers—that stayed with me. The grounds are beautiful and expensive to maintain,” Ben said.

“A lot of my best conversations took place in the courtyard or in Spies Garden. We want to keep that experience alive for other students. So when they come visit in 5, 10, 20 years, they still see a wonderful place to study and grow as a person.”

Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.

Media Contact