The Columbus School of Law fosters a small and caring community. Supported by faculty, staff, and alumni, students work together to help each other succeed here — an unusual dynamic in the notoriously competitive world of legal education. The Law School produces exceptionally well-trained lawyers who work hard and know how to get things done. Their success is extraordinary, and their resulting love for the school is palpable.

With full confidence in the strengths of that community, we are committing to an audacious objective: Building the academic reputation of the Columbus School of Law such that it rises in national standings to become a top-50 ranked law school, unique in its authentic Catholic identity and its influential voice, helping shape its students and the legal profession with an understanding of what it means to be a lawyer, to honor the dignity of the human person, and to serve the common good.

Campaign Priorities

New Endowed Faculty Chairs

Exceptional scholars appointed to new endowed faculty chairs will make the Columbus School of Law stronger in all areas, including mission, research, faculty and student recruitment, and reputation assessments by peers and judges.

$6
million

New Funding for Visiting and Contract Faculty

Flexible funding for teaching faculty will allow the School to attract prominent visiting faculty and manage resources effectively, while maintaining the small classes and opportunities for close faculty-student collaborations that are hallmarks of the Columbus School of Law experience.

$1
million

Institutes and Special Programs

We will build on the scholarly depth and hands-on learning opportunities shared by our established, well-regarded programs, to support existing faculty and students in their research and learning opportunities, respectively, and to recruit new faculty of exceptional standing and new students of particular promise, elevating the productivity and reputation of the Columbus School as a whole.

$1
million

New Specialties

Innovative areas of research and practice specialization will enrich student opportunities and expand the School’s influence.

$2
million

Updates to the Law School Building

Space redesign and renovations will inject new vitality into the entire School by creating distinguished homes for our special programs, attractive workspaces for our expanded faculty, and professional areas for collaboration with new strategic partners. We will also ensure the long-term health of our beautiful building with regularly scheduled maintenance and repairs.

$2
million

New Scholarships

The Columbus School will use new aid resources, including full-tuition scholarships, to attract the best-credentialed students, elevating our standing among the nation’s top legal education programs.

$9
million