Vanderbilt Law's Firm Giving program was created in the late 1990s to create additional community between VLS alumni colleagues within firms and to allow those alumni a specific (and sometimes competitive) way to give back to the school and support current students.
Firms with three or more Vanderbilt Law alumni can participate by naming a volunteer Firm Representative to encourage and coordinate alumni donations with the goal of achieving 100% giving participation.
The program’s growth has paralleled the increasing global influence of the law school. In 2020, even in the midst of a pandemic, over 1,100 alumni working at 88 firms and companies with locations around the world participated in the program, securing vital support for the law school. Firm participation helps to preserve the high standards in legal education that distinguish Vanderbilt Law School from competing schools.
The Firm Giving Honor Roll is an annually published recognition reserved only for firms who have achieved 100% alumni giving participation in at least one office location. Here you will find the 2023 Firm Giving Honor Roll listing.
We're excited about our upcoming 2024 Firm Giving campaign, which will start in late March. If your firm does not already participate and you'd like to discuss joining, email Katie Armstrong, Associate Director of Annual Giving for the Law School.
The Firm Giving program greatly impacts the law school’s overall alumni participation rate. Increasing the participation rate signals alumni support for VLS that influences assessment scores given by legal professional and peer law school administrators and faculty when calculating U.S. News & World Report law school rankings. Additionally, annual gifts help preserve the character, collegiality, and excellence of the Vanderbilt Law School experience, while also demonstrating the personal commitment and professional gratitude alumni hold for the school.
The program aids in the building and strengthening of a network between the law school and its alumni at the top law firms and businesses around the world. Employers benefit by reinforcing their presence at VLS, where some of the world’s best and brightest students are being equipped to become practicing lawyers.
The program benefits alumni at participating firms by building camaraderie within the firm and vitalizing alumni networks in the larger community. Firm Representatives are a loyal group of caring alumni who enjoyed their law school experience, value their degree from Vanderbilt Law School, and want to serve and give back.
We recognize the firms and organizations that achieve 100% participation on our Firm Giving Honor Roll, which is:
Additionally, firms who participate in on-campus interviews will find their interview suite decorated to recognize the achievement of reaching 100% participation among the VLS alumni at the firm. This recognition demonstrates to current law students and other visiting firms the strong affinity for and commitment to the school held by your VLS alumni.
