Community of Donors

  1. Giving
  2. Community of Donors

Every gift to Chicago-Kent College of Law—no matter the size—advances the school and its students. We are proud to embrace donors to Chicago-Kent as friends and investors in the law school’s future. 

  • Donor events build community, celebrate progress, and recognize individuals
  • Donors are able to participate in unique engagement opportunities with current students, faculty, and leadership—gaining insights into the current landscape of the law school and helping to shape the future
  • Exclusive communications provide donors with an up-to-the-minute look at changes within the school and ways that their gifts are at work

Chicago-Kent’s recognition societies offer all of the above as a way to acknowledge loyalty, annual gifts, and significant investment over a donor’s lifetime.

Senior Partner Council

The Senior Partner Council (SPC) at Chicago-Kent College of Law was created to honor and recognize the law school's most generous and committed donors. Each year, more than 200 SPC members contribute more than $1 million to the law school, allowing us to continue our legacy of distinctive legal education and innovation. Your gifts allow us to enhance the curriculum, expand practical learning opportunities, recruit and retain top-notch faculty, and improve the overall student experience.

When you invest in Chicago-Kent by joining the SPC, you equip the law school with the tools necessary to be student-centered and future-focused while preparing our students to succeed in a rapidly changing legal environment.

Members of the SPC enjoy special recognition and benefits, including an annual reception with Dean Anita K. Krug and students.

JOIN THE SENIOR PARTNER COUNCIL

Recognition

Donors who contribute a total of at least $1,000 during a single fiscal year (June 1 to May 31) are recognized with membership in the Senior Partner Council.

Graduates of the last 10 years are invited to join with a gift of $500 or more. All philanthropic contributions to the law school, including employer matching gifts, count toward membership to the SPC.

  • Senior Partner Council ($1,000–$2,499)
  • Amicus Circle ($2,500–$4,999)
  • Leadership Circle ($5,000–$9,999)
  • Dean's Circle ($10,000 or more)

James Kent Loyalty Society

The James Kent Loyalty Society celebrates members of the Chicago-Kent community who have made a gift, regardless of amount, for five or more consecutive fiscal years. A group within this society—Lifetime Members—have donated to Chicago-Kent for 25 or more consecutive years. We take every opportunity to recognize members of the James Kent Loyalty Society—in publications, at events, and online.

The namesake of Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chancellor James Kent was appointed as the first professor of law at Columbia University in 1793 before the university instituted its law school. He also was a practitioner, having served 25 years as a state judge in New York, before he became a law professor. Chancellor Kent invented legal scholarship, presented a series of lectures at Columbia in the 1820s, and then published them as the Commentaries on American Law. He was characterized by one recent writer as “the most influential American law book of the antebellum period.”

James Kent Loyalty Society Lifetime Members*

  • Cynthia P. Anderson ’86
  • Lawrence J. Bassuk ’75
  • Hon. Peter J .Birnbaum ’83
  • Robert F. Blyth ’86
  • Edward M. Burnes ’77
  • Richard E. Conser ’88
  • J.B. deRosset ’82
  • Thomas R. Dodegge ’74
  • James R. Dowdall ’53
  • Joan M. Eagle ’83 (D)
  • Hon. James E. Egan ’73
  • Herbert Elliott ’75
  • Stephen B. Engelman ’76
  • Richard G. Flood ’76
  • Michael Galvin ’76
  • George H. Gordon, Jr. ’67
  • Gordon A. Greenberg ’80 and Patricia L. Collins
  • Murray B. Greenberg ’79
  • Dolores K. Hanna ’52 (D)
  • David W. Hansen ’84
  • Martin F. Hauselman ’60 and Lois Hauselman
  • Charlotte M. Kaplow ’80
  • Gertrude Kasakoff (D)
  • Colleen A. Khoury ’75
  • Walter M. Langford ’71 (D)
  • Saul L. Langsam ’74
  • Janice E. Linn ’82 and S. Richard Pincus
  • Professor Martin H. Malin
  • Robert E. McKenzie ’79
  • Adrienne B. Naumann ’84
  • Steven T. Naumann ’88
  • Jo Lynne Nugent-Stimmel ’89
  • William J. Payne ’84
  • Hon. Richard R. Rochester ’59 (D)
  • Ben M. Roth ’75
  • Robert T. Ruff ’57
  • Robert M. Sarnoff ’68
  • Ronald B. Schwartz ’80
  • Nancy T. Siedlecki ’80
  • Mary Anne Smith ’77
  • James G. Sporleder ’76
  • Steven E. Stroh ’64
  • Prof. Mary Rose Strubbe ’81
  • Andrew D. Thomas ’67
  • Joel D. Weisman ’69 and Analee Weisman
  • Eitan Weltman ’79
  • Hon. Bernard B. Wolfe ’37 (D)

(D) indicates deceased.
*List is current as of October 16, 2019

Gunsaulus Society

Members of the Gunsaulus Society have expressed their commitment to Chicago-Kent College of Law through a very special and important form of financial support. These donors have named Chicago-Kent as the ultimate beneficiary of a planned gift. Such gifts might include a bequest and/or charitable income gifts, such as charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder unitrusts, charitable remainder annuity trusts, gifts from retirement accounts, or gifts of life insurance.

Membership Benefits

Your membership involves no dues, obligations, or solicitations, but it does allow us to thank you and recognize you for the plans you have made, and it may inspire generosity in others. Benefits of membership in the Gunsaulus Society also include:

  • Annual luncheons
  • Invitations to special events and seminars including Chicago-Kent’s annual Leadership Circle Dinner
  • Special recognition at events
  • Special recognition in donor recognition communications including Chicago-Kent’s annual Honor Roll and Illinois Tech’s impact magazine
  • The most important benefit you will receive from joining the Gunsaulus Society, however, is the satisfaction derived from making a lasting contribution to our long-term prosperity

Chicago-Kent Gunsaulus Society Members

  • Teresa Clark ’11
  • Lew Collens and Marge Collens (D)
  • Amy L. Cobb Curran ’01 and Scott M. Curran ’01
  • Richard W. Eicksteadt ’66 and Shirley A. Eicksteadt
  • Herbert Elliott ’75
  • John C. Erb ’76 and Gina Erb
  • Fred B. Hanson (D) ’32 and Marilynn Hanson
  • Barbara R. Hudson ’91
  • Michael D. Ilagan ’98
  • Bruce M. Kohen ’79 and Sheri G. Kohen
  • Dean Harold J. Krent and Nancy F. Krent
  • Elaine R. Levin ’85
  • Janice E. Linn ’82 and S. Richard Pincus
  • Harvey A. Meyers ’65 and Patricia Meyers
  • Raymond C. Mikulich ’81 and Karen Karlsrud
  • Arthur J. Morris ’71
  • Bernard Pollack ’36 (D) and Martha Pollack
  • Cathy L. Rath ’01
  • Herbert B. Roberts ’49 and Julia Roberts
  • Harry Q. Rohde ’59
  • Richard B. Rothman ’61
  • David Schlaifer ’88
  • Elizabeth O. Simer and Timothy Simer
  • Olga M. Springer ’49
  • Christopher M. Stone ’90
  • Steven E. Stroh ’64 and Ottilieanne Stroh
  • Joel D. Weisman ’69 and Analee Weisman
  • Priscilla Anne Walter and Douglas H. Walter
  • Hon. Bernard B. Wolfe ’37 (D) and Beulah Wolfe (D)

(D) indicates deceased.
*List is current as of October 16, 2019.

Q&A with John Erb ’76

What motivated you to include Chicago-Kent in your estate?

Gina and I both know and appreciate that Chicago-Kent not only provided a superb legal education, but instilled in me a culture of life-long learning and curiosity, the desire to help others, and the opportunity to pursue a career that was diverse, challenging, and exciting every single day. By providing for Illinois Tech’s Chicago-Kent in our estate plan, we can help assure that this same opportunity will be there for others who share my passion for the law and have the drive and commitment to succeed.

What kind of legacy do you want to leave?

We would like to leave a legacy of giving back in appreciation of the many gifts that have been given to us. Among those is the gift of a great education which opened the door to a fulfilling career. While a student at Chicago-Kent, I was fortunate to receive the Lawrence West Scholarship to help me with tuition. Having never forgotten how much one alumni’ faith and generosity meant to us, it is our hope that one day our gift will help ease the burden of another dedicated student.

Founders’ Society

Founders’ Society members have made a strategic, high-impact investment in Chicago-Kent College of Law by providing financial support of $100,000 or more during their lifetime.

Individuals

  • Anonymous (5)
  • Robert W. Beart ’48
  • Gerald L. Bepko ’65
  • Sadie Berkson (D)
  • Hon. Peter J. Birnbaum ’83 and Juliet Birnbaum
  • Paul W. Brandel ’33 (D) and Bernice P. Brandel (D)
  • Lewis M. Collens and Marge Collens
  • Prof. Richard J. Conviser
  • June B. Davis (D)
  • Kostadina D. Demetrio ’03
  • Thomas A. Demetrio ’73
  • Vincent L. DiTommaso ’82
  • Craig S. Donohue LLM ’89 and Elsa Donohue
  • Kenneth J. Douglas ’50 (D)
  • Miriam L. Ebkom (D)
  • Thomas D. Flanagan ’63 and Constance Flanagan
  • James C. Franczek, Jr.
  • Norman Freehling ’32 (D) and Edna W. Freehling (D)
  • Norman A. Freeman ’40 (D)
  • William W. Fullagar ’42 (D)
  • Gordan A. Greenberg ’80 and Patricia L. Collins
  • Harold S. Handelsman
  • David W. Hansen ’84
  • Warren A. Heindl ’47, LLM ’48 (D)
  • Henry G. Hulbert ’30 (D & Edna Hulbert (D)
  • Sigmund V. Kacz ’25 (D)
  • Max R. Kargman ’29 (D) and Marie Kargman (D)
  • Bruce M. Kohen ’79 and Sheri Kohen
  • Hon. Terrence J. Lavin ’83
  • Elaine R. Levin ’85*
  • Hon. Abraham Lincoln Marovitz ’25 (D)
  • Goldie B. Wolfe Miller and Jack Miller
  • James J. Morici, Jr. ’79
  • Arthur J. Morris ’71 and Stephanie Morris
  • Sidney Neuman ’25 (D)
  • Penny M. Newberg (D)
  • Dorothy S. Ogilvie
  • Norman L. Olson ’22 (D) and Helen Olson (D)
  • Roy C. Palmer ’62 and Susan M. Palmer
  • Virginia Piper (D)
  • Eloise ReQua (D)
  • Herbert B. Roberts ’49 (D)
  • Lajos Schmidt ’54
  • George N. Simpson ’58 (D)
  • Marsha C. Spak ’79 and Professor Michael I. Spak
  • Sophia Swienton (D)
  • Marion Tittle (D)
  • Ralph H. Tracy ’50 (D) and Erna S. Tracy (D)
  • Priscilla Anne Walter and Douglas H. Walter
  • Robert J. Washlow ’70
  • Joan C. Wing ’74 (O) and John A. Wing (D)
  • Hon. Bernard B. Wolfe ’37
  • Geri J. Yonover ’83 and Ronald Yonover
  • George A. Zelcs ’79 and Diane Zelcs

Organizations

  • AMR Corporation
  • Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc.
  • Baker & McKenzie LLP
  • Alvin H. Baum Family Foundation
  • The Bill Bass Foundation
  • The Chicago Bar Foundation
  • Franczek Radelet P.C.
  • The Norman & Edna Freehling Foundation
  • Google, Inc.
  • The Handelsman Family Foundation
  • Jackson Lewis LLP
  • The Joyce Foundation
  • Krislov & Associates, Ltd.
  • L & R Anixter Foundation
  • Law School Admission Council
  • Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois
  • LexisNexis
  • Lumina Foundation for Education
  • Jack Miller Center
  • National Center for State Courts
  • Open Society Institute
  • Oracle Corporation
  • Roy C. and Susan M. Palmer Family Foundation
  • SmithAmundsen LLC