Dear Alumni and Friends,

Our Law School is committed to transformative education and a brilliant faculty pursuing path-breaking ideas. When these strengths are combined, such as when students participate in the scholarly pursuits of our faculty, it is hard to imagine a more exhilarating educational experience.

These values have long guided our Law School, as a conference this past spring underscored. Prominent corporate law scholars, our Center for Law and Finance, and the new student-led University of Chicago Business Law Review convened to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the publication of Frank H. Easterbrook and Daniel R. Fischel’s The Economic Structure of Corporate Law. Presenters at the conference praised Easterbrook and Fischel for posing questions and developing frameworks that became the foundations of scholarship in corporate law.

Frank and Dan recounted how they developed their ideas in true Chicago fashion. From their Law School educations in the 1970s under intellectual giants in the field of law and economics, to presentations and robust discussions of their ideas at Chicago workshops in the 1980s, they highlighted how scholars at the Law School advance ideas: seeking indisciplinarity, challenging accepted wisdom, and inviting criticism.

The intellectual ambitions of our faculty members remain just as high today, as does their commitment to sharing their enthusiasm for ideas with our students. Professor Martha C. Nussbaum took her philosophic framework, the capabilities approach, in an innovative direction in her new book, Justice for Animals, by extending it to striving and sentient animals. Nussbaum worked on portions of the book with her late daughter, Rachel Nussbaum Wichert, an animal rights lawyer. It, too, embodies interdisciplinarity at the University, drawing together law and philosophy and confronting complex problems. In memory of Rachel, Martha generously established the Rachel Nussbaum Animal Law Scholarship. It will support students’ own research on animal law and thus expand the boundaries of knowledge in this emerging field.

With the opportunity to climb such intellectual heights, every student faces a learning curve (as each of us may remember from our own 1L experiences). We wish every student to take full advantage of the intellectual richness of our Law School community. Our Pre-Orientation Program provides a group of incoming 1Ls a brief introduction to our distinctive pedagogy. The program demystifies parts of legal education and allows students to make the most of their time at the Law School.

Our commitment to the core mission of academic excellence is unwavering, but change is sometimes inescapable. We recently celebrated the retirement of Professor Dennis Hutchinson. During his four decades at the University, Dennis nurtured the connections between our Law School and the College, particularly through his leadership of the College’s Law, Letters and Society program. On our side of the Midway, Dennis led and set a high standard for our clerkship program. His scholarly contributions—including co-editing The Supreme Court Review and authoring the definitive biography of Justice Bryon White—exemplify the intellectual excellence of the University of Chicago. A tireless legacy of mentorship leaves countless distinguished alumni grateful for Dennis’s guidance and collaboration.

I am proud of how the “Chicago way” transforms ideas into groundbreaking fields of study and prepares students for their futures by immersing them in these ideas. I look forward to seeing how our next generation of scholars builds upon this foundation. I hope to see many of you at Reunion.

Warmly,

Thomas J. Miles
Dean and Clifton R. Musser Professor of Law and Economics

The Impact of Your Support

Your generous contributions provide resources that create inspiring learning opportunities. Your gifts enabled the following:

• 80 percent of the JD student body received scholarship support this academic year
• The Class of 2022 contributed 15,932 pro bono hours during their time at the Law School
• 100 percent 1L and 2L summer employment 2022
• 99 percent of the class of 2021 employed (10 months after graduation)
• 100–125 graduates have clerked each term since 2017
• $5,000 guaranteed summer public interest funding available to all students

Hundreds of students benefit from scholarship funds each year, as have thousands of deserving Law School alumni. With 80 percent of students receiving financial aid, scholarship support is critically important. It allows us to attract top prospective students to the Law School, raising the intellectual rigor for all students and faculty.

The impact scholarships have had on so many is tremendous and is made possible by the generous support of our outstanding community of alumni and friends. Thank you to those of you who have already made gifts, and thank you in advance to those of you who will extend your philanthropy in the months to come as well!

Please make your gift today at https://give.uchicago.edu/law

A Message of Thanks from Our Students

Jay Khurana, ’23

As the child of immigrants who came to this country to seek a better life, your scholarship has helped me and my family achieve the American dream. I hope to use my degree to help members of my community by being a mentor and benefactor so that other talented young minds can gain access to the nation’s top institutions.

Kara Thompson, ’25

Being here, I just can’t wipe the smile off my face. I look at the professors, all these years into teaching and still bright-eyed like kids in a candy store. I look at my peers, all brimming with an eagerness to do good and grow smarter. And for the first time, I know with certainty that I will love my job.

Jace Lee, ’23

Looking back as a third-year law student, law school, of course, has been challenging academically, but beyond that, there have been times when I felt like I did not belong in this profession as a first-generation law student. Nevertheless, UChicago Law’s great training and mentorship have given me the courage to enter this great profession. So thank you for making this invaluable experience possible. It has helped me grow as a student and person, with a clearer outlook on how I wish to shape my legal career.

Jane Ninivaggi, ’23

I cannot thank you enough for supporting my scholarship to the University of Chicago Law School. With your support, I not only am able to fulfill my dream of becoming a lawyer but also, for perhaps the first time in my life, I feel wholly proud of myself and confident in my endeavors. I wake up each day excited to be in law school and look forward to a lifetime of enthusiastic practice. Your generosity is deeply appreciated. I hope to one day pay it forward with my contributions to the field and society.

Brian Huang, ’25

Without your generosity, I would not have been able to attend the University of Chicago Law School and subsequently would have never met all the impressive peers that I have met nor had the incredible experiences I’ve already had in my short time in Hyde Park. This award not only allowed me to attend the Law School, but will also help me be able to pursue my public service interests sooner in my life than expected. Thank you again for all of your support!

Elias van Emmerick, ’25

I feel fantastically fortunate to be able to study under leaders and visionaries in the field of law, together with students who challenge me to bring my intellectual best to class every day. I would not be able to do this without the support of donors like you.

1948

Ira T. Wender

October 18, 2022

Wender was a graduate of Swarthmore College and earned an LLM in taxation from New York University Law School. A founding partner of Wender, Murase & White, he also held leadership roles at several corporations before concluding his legal career at Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler. Wender served as assistant director of the Harvard Law School International Program in Taxation and coauthored the text Foreign Investment and Taxation. He lived in New York City.

1949

Theodore M. Asner

August 8, 2022

A US Army veteran of World War II and the Korean War, Asner later served as a major in the Army Reserve. He was awarded the Illinois gold medal and the national silver medal upon taking the Uniform CPA Examination in 1955, and worked at the accounting firm now known as Grant Thornton until his retirement.

Richard G. Dinning

July 24, 2022

Dinning enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943 and flew 34 combat missions over Europe as a B-17 bomber pilot. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with oak leaf clusters, as well as the Legion of Honor from the government of France. He spent his career in aviation, helping to build US Airways and flying his own plane into his eighties. He volunteered as a docent at the International Museum of World War II in Natick, Massachusetts, and served as president of Big Brothers of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

1950

Jack E. Frankel

April 21, 2020

1951

Karl F. Nygren

October 19, 2022

Nygren served in the US Army during World War II and later graduated from DePaul University. He joined the firm now known as Kirkland & Ellis in 1950 and rose to become managing partner. After retiring from practice, he taught at the Law School of Santa Clara University and Stanford University Law School. Nygren’s volunteer work included serving as a DePaul trustee, chairman of the executive board of the American Judicature Society, and a member of the Law School’s visiting committee. He lived in the San Francisco Bay Area.

1954

Edwin H. Shanberg

September 9, 2022

Shanberg practiced in the areas of estate planning and commercial real estate at Greenstein & Solotke in Northbrook, Illinois.

1955

Daniel N. Fox

February 11, 2022

Fox was a graduate of the College. He lived in Pomona, California.

1956

Myron H. Burnstein

August 14, 2022

Burnstein practiced law in Hollywood, Florida, before becoming Florida’s deputy attorney general. A passionate environmentalist, he served on the board of the Florida Inland Navigation District. He was also an avid tennis player and scuba diver.

1958

Allen C. Engerman

September 28, 2022

Engerman was a graduate of the University of Illinois and a veteran of the US Air Force Reserve. He worked in the Cook County prosecutor’s office before entering private practice as a corporate litigator, where he specialized in complex litigation. He later founded his own law firm as well as a company that audited retirement funds. He was an active supporter of the Democratic Party, the state of Israel, and North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe, Illinois.

Wayne E. Peters

October 10, 2022

A University of Illinois alumnus, Peters served in the US Army Reserve and practiced law until his death. He loved swimming and sailing on Lake Michigan.

1959

Alford R. Penniman

July 18, 2022

Penniman earned a bachelor’s degree at Carleton College. He served as a judge in the 17th Judicial Circuit for Boone and Winnebago counties in Illinois and was also a pastor at Gentle Shepherd Fellowship in Rockford, Illinois. After retiring, he was a congressional aide to Donald Manzullo of Illinois’s 16th Congressional District. He enjoyed reading, photography, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, archery, and church activities.

1960

William W. Sadd

July 17, 2022

Sadd was a graduate of Denison University. He began his legal career at Fuller & Henry in Toledo, Ohio, where he developed expertise in antitrust and trade association law that informed his later executive positions at the Glass Packaging Institute and the National Spa and Pool Institute. He loved music, particularly singing, and volunteered for youth music organizations. Sadd was also a volunteer fireman in Round Hill, Virginia; a member of Lions International; and loved golf, hunting, and dogs. He lived in Fort Myers, Florida.

1962

James O. Latturner

September 18, 2022

Latturner graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a bachelor’s degree in business. He worked in banking and at the Chicago firm of Berchem, Schwantes & Thuma before joining the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago (now Legal Aid Chicago), where he became deputy director. Later, he joined the firm of Edelman, Combs, Latturner & Goodwin, where he was a partner until retirement. His interests included bird watching, photography, Civil War history, and world travel.

Norman Vieira

August 11, 2022

Vieira was valedictorian of his class at Columbia University. After earning his JD, he clerked in the Illinois Supreme Court. As a professor of law specializing in constitutional law and civil rights, he taught at the law schools of the University of Idaho, the University of California–Los Angeles, and Southern Illinois University. Vieira was the author of books on civil rights and the appointment process of the US Supreme Court. He loved pets and was a devout Catholic.

1963

Quinn E. Benson

June 21, 2022

Benson earned his undergraduate degree at Wabash College. He spent 25 years as an attorney in Kalamazoo, Michigan, before being appointed judge in Kalamazoo County’s 9th District. He sang with the Bach Festival Chorus and was a talented stained-glass artist. Benson lived in Portage, Michigan.

1964

Ira J. Fistell

September 29, 2022

A graduate of the College and holder of a master’s degree in American history from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Fistell was at various times a broadcaster, newspaper editor, adult education teacher, and news writer. He spent many years as a talk show host at the Los Angeles radio station KABC.

David E. Mason

August 9, 2022

Mason held an undergraduate degree from Hamilton College. He joined the manufacturing company Krasberg Corporation, eventually becoming chairman and CEO. He also sat on the board of Republic Industries. A dedicated philanthropist, he founded the Krasberg-Mason Foundation with his wife to support a wide range of charitable organizations. Mason was active in his church and a Hamilton College trustee; he also served on the village board of Northfield, Illinois.

1965

Damien Thomas Wren

December 22, 2022

Wren was an alumnus of the University of Notre Dame and a US Army veteran. He practiced law in Chicago for nearly 50 years, volunteering in the city’s bar association and mentoring younger attorneys. He also served as president of his condominium association. Wren was an avid reader, traveler, and athlete, and a lifelong fan of the Chicago Bears and Bulls.

1966

Michael A. Zimmerman

July 2020

Zimmerman served in the Peace Corps in the Philippines and went on to become a professional fundraiser and consultant to cultural, human rights, and environmental organizations. He was a passionate arts patron who served on the board of Theatre Rhinoceros, which also produced his play, What’s a Mother to Do? Zimmerman was also a longtime member and officer of Congregation Sha’ar Zahav in San Francisco, where he lived.

1967

William A. London

December 23, 2021

1968

Gregg Lewis Skalinder

September 18, 2022

Skalinder held a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. He was an actuary at several firms before cofounding Skalinder Wilkinson Associates, where he worked until establishing his own firm, Freestyle Consulting. Passionate about singing, Skalinder was a chorister at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Evanston, Illinois, for nearly 50 years, and also started an a cappella group.

1970

William G. Nosek

October 9, 2022

Nosek was a graduate of Loyola University. He practiced law in Chicago, beginning his career at Tenney & Bentley and retiring from Arnstein & Lehr. He was an avid fan of Ohio State as well as the Chicago White Sox, Bears, and Blackhawks.

1972

Fern C. Bomchill

June 14, 2022

Bomchill joined the Chicago office of Mayer Brown after earning her JD. She was among the first women to make partner at the firm, where she spent her entire career. Bomchill served as associate general counsel to Continental Bank and as a special master in antitrust litigation in federal court; she also served the legal community as national president of the Federal Bar Association and as a member of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Judicial Improvements.

Stephen A. Canders

October 18, 2022

Canders earned his undergraduate degree at Colby College and spent his career practicing law in Maine. For several years, he was general counsel for the Finance Authority of Maine; he also founded the firm of Maine Legal Associates, which later merged with Fairfield & Associates. Additionally, Canders taught business law at York County Community College. He lived in Kennebunk, Maine.

Michael Scott Luros

June 17, 2022

Luros graduated from the University of California–Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history. After several years in private practice and at the California Office of the State Public Defender, he was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court; he was later elevated to the Los Angeles Superior Court. Luros lived in Porter Ranch, California.

1973

Steve Aaron Brand

April 15, 2022

Brand earned a degree in political science and government from the University of Minnesota. He was a partner at the Minneapolis litigation firm of Robins Kaplan, where he worked for more than three decades and led the estate and trust practice. His volunteer work included serving on the boards of the Sholom Community Alliance, the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul, the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library, and Hebrew Union College. He lived in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Roger Thomas Brice

January 2, 2023

Brice was a summa cum laude graduate of DePaul University. He began his career as a litigation specialist at the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, DC, and specialized in labor and employment law throughout his time in private practice before retiring from the Chicago office of Dentons after more than 30 years with the firm. He was also a longtime board member and pro bono legal counsel of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago.

Oliver Lockhart Holmes Jr.

December 1, 2022

A graduate of Antioch College, Holmes focused his legal practice on government contracts. He was successively a partner at three firms in San Francisco—Pettit & Martin; Sonnenschein, Nath and Rosenthal; and Duane Morris—and was a member of the London Court of International Arbitration, many professional associations, and the Pacific-Union Club. Holmes also advised a number of nonprofit organizations on a pro bono basis and served on the Law School’s visiting committee. His interests included technology, restoring his beloved Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider, gardening, and genealogy.

John Charles Ruppert

March 2, 2022

An alumnus of Washington State University, Ruppert practiced law for many years in Portland, Oregon. He served in the Illinois Army National Guard and the US Army Reserve and was a dedicated member of the Men’s Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He volunteered on the board of Mount Hood Little League, where he also coached his son’s team.

1974

Neal Lloyd Wolf

September 7, 2022

After earning a degree from Princeton University, Wolf served as aide to Representative Sidney Yates of Illinois’s Ninth District. He began his law career focusing on bankruptcy litigation with the firm of Lewis and Roca in Phoenix, Arizona; later, he practiced at firms in Chicago and San Francisco, becoming a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and eventually retiring from Hanson Bridgett in San Francisco. Wolf enjoyed mentoring younger attorneys and was a lifelong fan of Chicago sports teams.

1976

Norman Dennis Langley

September 20, 2022

Staughton Lynd

November 17, 2022

Lynd held a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, served as a noncombatant in the US Army, and earned master’s and doctoral degrees in history from Columbia University. He taught history at Spelman College and Yale University; during that time, he directed the Freedom Schools in the 1964 Mississippi Summer Project and organized protests against the Vietnam War. After earning his JD, Lynd worked in labor law and prisoner advocacy in Ohio. He wrote a number of well-known books on US history, including Intellectual Origins of American Radicalism and Class Conflict, Slavery, and the United States Constitution.

1978

James H. Fox

November 19, 2022

Fox earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering at Purdue University, then spent four years in the US Air Force before entering the Law School. He practiced intellectual property law at Bell Laboratories and Lucent Technologies. Fox loved traveling, history, and music; he was a resident of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

1989

Michael S. Novins

April 11, 2022

Novins earned a bachelor’s degree with honors at Binghamton University. During his career, he was a corporate partner at Baker McKenzie; vice president and general counsel at Blyth, Inc.; and a corporate and securities attorney at Axiom. Novins was a resident of New York City.

1994

Jonathan Allan Clark

June 14, 2022

Clark was an alumnus of Johns Hopkins University. He spent most of his career at Philadelphia law firms, cochairing the employee benefits and executive compensation practice group of Pepper Hamilton and chairing the same practice group at Blank Rome.

2013

Dustin Arthur Liddle

May 16, 2022

Liddle held an accounting degree from the University of Oregon and worked as a certified public accountant before enrolling in the Law School. While enrolled, he worked as a summer honors law clerk at the US Securities and Exchange Commission and as a legal extern for the Internal Revenue Service. He practiced law at Hawley Troxell and Perkins Coie in Boise, Idaho, and Karnopp Petersen in Bend, Oregon, and was active in animal rights and environmental causes. He lived in Boise.