UCLA LAW FIRM CHALLENGE 2011-2012
The Law Firm Challenge reconnects UCLA School of Law’s alumni, each year encouraging participants to make regular, annual contributions to the school, particularly the UCLA Law Fund. The school owes a great deal to the representatives of the participating Challenge firms and the alumni at those firms for their leading role in expanding the connections between their firms and the school and reinvigorating the Law Annual Fund. Please note that ALL gifts made to the law school, not merely those to the UCLA Law Fund, are applied to firm participation rates.
A note from Jim Barrall '75, Founding Chair of the UCLA Law Firm Challenge
This spring, we kick off the 10th annual Law Firm Challenge at UCLA School of Law. It is quite a milestone, and we have our alumni at
our participating firms to thank for the longevity and success of the Challenge. Because of their support, this program has become one of the stand-out fundraising initiatives at UCLA Law and has gained nationwide recognition as a model for other law schools. Just to remind you, last year, 79% of our 1,400+ alumni at firms in the Challenge made a gift to UCLA Law. That is simply astounding and makes ours the best law firm challenge at any law school in the country.
At its core, the Law Firm Challenge remains a critical contributor to the school’s improving national reputation – just this spring, US News and World Report ranked us at 15. This is the first time in UCLA Law’s history that we’ve been ranked that high, without being tied with another law school. While we all take the US News with a large grain of salt, especially because we know we are better than #15, here are some facts no one can dispute: In 2002, the first year of the Challenge, the School’s alumni participation rate in annual giving was 16%, the lowest of any Top 20 law school (actually tied with another school across town). Thanks in large part to our Law Firm Challenge, in 9 years we have moved our participation percentage to at 30.2%, placing us fifth place overall in giving participation by all alumni at the nation’s top 20 schools, behind only Penn, Yale, Stanford and Virginia. And Penn and Stanford are in our sights.
Perhaps even more importantly, the Challenge raises much-needed funds for UCLA Law. The sharp decline in state funding and the subsequent rise in student tuition has meant that UCLA Law students are graduating with very significant financial debt, and support from alumni has taken a new, even more important role. If UCLA Law is to remain a top tier law school, much less continue to gain in the standings, it is imperative that it have the financial resources and alumni support that our peer schools enjoy. If not, we will fall behind.
But the Challenge is also a fun and friendly competition, and the 97 firms and reps who participate in it all have a good time challenging each other in a
horserace-style competition between firms. We are creating and participating in an enjoyable (and dare I say, exciting?) culture of growing alumni involvement, staying connected to our alma mater and helping the students who are now where we were when we started, taking the first steps in their legal careers.
This year, we intend to reach 80% participation in the Law Firm Challenge. Last year, we only got to 79% by one gift, so every gift counts! You can make a gift
here (don’t forget to write your firm name in the comments section).
The success of the Challenge depends on our alumni. If your firm is not already participating in the Challenge, we encourage you to join us. Please contact Michelle deBaroncelli at (310) 206-1170 or debaroncelli@law.ucla.edu to enroll your firm in the Challenge.
Ten years. Eighty percent. Let’s do it.
Thanks, as always, for your support. See you at the finish line!
Jim Barrall