The Kirkland & Ellis Foundation has donated nearly $5.5 million to support the University of Chicago Law School’s Corporate Lab, which prepares students for corporate law careers and promotes research in that area.

The program has been renamed the Kirkland & Ellis Corporate Lab.

“We highly value the development of practical skills and wanted to support that aspect of the University of Chicago Law School curriculum,” said Kirkland partner Stephen Ritchie, who graduated from Chicago.

Law dean Michael Schill said the donation reflects the close relationship between the school and the Chicago-based Kirkland. “We are grateful both for Kirkland’s support and for the support of our loyal alumni at the firm,” he said.

Through classes and real-world projects, the lab aims to instill students with sound legal and business judgment. It works with some of the biggest corporations in the United States—including IBM Corp., Microsoft Corp. and United Airlines Inc.

Read more at The National Law Journal