Vermont Law School’s Capital Campaign Exceeds its Target by $3.4 Million

At a time when law schools are under heavy criticism from certain parts of the lawyers’ and students’ communities, it is refreshing to find citizens asserting their confidence in a law school. On Tuesday, the Vermont Law School Dean, Jeff Shields announced that the school’s three-year campaign for raising capital ended on June 30 and had raised $18.4 million exceeding the target of $15 million by over 20 percent. The funding came from a support base of almost 3,000 people including Vermont’s congressional delegation – U.S. Sen. Patrick, Leahy, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch – who worked hard to make the campaign a success.

The Vermont Law School Dean said, “I am heartened by the breadth of support we received during this campaign … This was a team effort on behalf of Vermont Law School by many people who recognize what we do for the state of Vermont, for our students and for the advancement of the rule of law at home and abroad.” The Dean further admitted, “We received terrific help from alumni, parents, friends, the bar, students, foundations, faculty, institutional supports and our congressional delegation…. Our campus leadership on this campaign was crucial to its success.”

The campaign had been set into motion following a key gift from Trustee Fran Yates that helped the school to purchase the former Freck’s department store in South Royalton. The building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was renovated with strict environmental standards and renamed as the Center for Legal Services. The Center is now used to house the South Royalton Legal Clinic, the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, and other clinical programs designed to provide hands-on training to law students, as well as help the society at large. The building also houses the school’s bookstore.