Restricted Gifts in Support
of Clinics, Competition Programs, Publications,
Symposia, and Academic Initiatives
Although unrestricted gifts to the Annual
Fund gifts are the lifeblood of the school,
and provide support where needed most to
every curricular and extra-curricular program
or service available, some Alumni have felt
particularly affinity for particular programs
and teams with which they participated.
The following Profiles in Philanthropy are
offered to illustrate the sources of support
the school has received, and how a gift
can be structured to carry out a particular
purpose.
Hinckley Allen Snyder extends its
sponsorship of Thurgood Marshall Memorial
Lecture series.
Hoping to encourage further attention to
promoting diversity within the Rhode Island
Bar, and to facilitate frank and open discussion
on pressing issues of education and race,
the Providence Law Firm of Hinckley Allen
& Snyder first supported a lecture commemorating
Thurgood Marshall on April 14, 2004. This
lecture celebrated the 50th Anniversary
of Justice Marshall’s role, then a
young attorney and principal architect for
the plaintiff’s position in Brown
v Board of Education, in the seminal Supreme
Court case which overturned the “separate
but equal” doctrine. The featured
speaker, Kirkland and Ellis Professor of
Law, David B. Wilkins, explored the “paradox
of opportunity” that exists for black
lawyers following the Brown decision and
responded to questions from Rhode Island
panelists including The Honorable Rogeriee
Thompson and Beverly Ledbetter, Vice President
and General Counsel, Brown University. A
number of the Justice Marshall’s former
law clerks participated, as did his widow,
Mrs. Thurgood Marshall. The overwhelming
success of this lecture encouraged Hinckley
Allen to commit to sponsor the next three
lectures, scheduled for the years 2006,
2008, and 2010. While the topics will vary,
the mission of the series—to bring
national speakers to campus to discuss issues
of race affecting all of us—will remain
the same.
Leo’s Ristorante supports
Mediation Competition Team.
As Paul Mancieri, proprietor of Leo’s
Ristorante & Catering, found himself
coming to campus more and more frequently,
bringing his elegant specialty menus to
School of Law events, he started to get
to know faculty, students and administrators.
He was always particularly impressed with
the devotion of members of the competition
teams who managed to find time to travel,
often on a shoestring budget, to compete--in
between their other law school commitments.
Looking for an opportunity to show his support,
he chose the Mediation Competition team.
In November, 2004, Paul announced that he
would provide five years of financial support
to the team, to be applied to all expenses,
from registration and travel to the Leo’s
signature “sliced chicken stuffed
with pesto, roasted red peppers and cheese”
that the school plans to serve to the volunteer
judges who will moot the team on the last
night of practice before the national competition
next spring.
Donors who would like their gift to bear their name or that of a person, whom they wish to honor, may contact the Office of Alumni, Programs & Events, (401) 254-4659, for funding thresholds and guidelines.
