News & Events
Emily and I value greatly the educations we received that have allowed us to become successful in our professions and engaged members of the Richmond community. - Neil Millhiser ’11L
Following Washington and Lee University School of Law’s record-breaking fundraising year, the Board of Trustees approved a new goal of $55 million for the school last October for Leading Lives of Consequence: The Campaign for Washington and Lee. The Law School surpassed its original goal of $40 million ahead of the campaign’s public launch last fall.
This accomplishment was fueled in part by an all-time high in fundraising for the Law School in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, during which the school raised just over $12 million in gifts and pledges. Major sources for this philanthropy included several significant estate gifts, as well as outright gifts. The majority of the fundraising, more than $10 million, was designated for law student scholarships.
“The commitment to current and future generations of W&L Law students is inspiring,” says Melanie Wilson, dean and Roy J. Steinheimer Jr. Professor of Law. “In today’s highly competitive market for the most exceptional law students, scholarships are critical. Our alumni support ensures that we are able to provide access to one of the nation’s finest law schools to anyone who meets our high standards regardless of their financial situation.”
Motivated by the $2.5 million matching gift for scholarships from an anonymous philanthropist, numerous donors have stepped forward to contribute to existing scholarship funds or to create their own. Law Council President Neil Millhiser ’11L, along with his wife, Emily, established the Emily and Neil Millhiser ’11L Law Scholarship that will support law students who, like Emily, are the first in their family to graduate from college. The couple was inspired to establish the scholarship by the anonymous matching gift.
“Emily and I value greatly the educations we received that have allowed us to become successful in our professions and engaged members of the Richmond community,” says Neil. “And as a first-generation student herself, Emily was able to pursue higher education through the generosity of others. We are excited to pay it forward by providing this support to future law students.”
The total fundraising goal for Law School scholarships during the Leading Lives of Consequence campaign is $55 million, of which over $27 million has already been raised. Key to this ambitious goal is the anonymous donor who will match every new gift designated to Law School student scholarship endowments through the conclusion of the campaign in July 2027. W&L Law School alumni and friends can also establish scholarships with a minimum gift of $100,000 or contribute to one of the school’s existing scholar-ships. The Law School currently has 127 named scholarships.
Learn more about the W&L Law School campaign initiatives.