Wake Forest Law Firm Challenge
The fiscal year 2014 Law Firm Challenge kicks off in December and runs through March 31 ( Please note that all gifts made to the Law Fund from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 will be counted in the Law Firm Challenge). If your firm employs three or more WFU law alumni and you would like to participate, please contact Joy Scheidt in the Development & Alumni Relations office via email scheidjt@wfu.edu or phone 336.758.2161. Only participating firms with 100% giving among WFU law alumni will be recognized on the Firm Giving Honor Roll and be eligible to win the Law Firm Challenge Cup to be presented to the winning firm at Law Alumni Weekend.
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The Law Firm Challenge was created over a decade ago to promote continued excellence in legal education at Wake Forest Law School. Firms with three or more Wake Forest Law alumni can participate by naming a Firm Representative to encourage and coordinate alumni donations with a goal toward achieving 100% giving participation with an emphasis placed on a higher annual average gift per person to the Wake Forest Law Fund.
The programs growth has paralleled the increasing national influence of the law school. In 2013 over 550 alumni working at 61 firms with locations across the country participated in the program, securing vital unrestricted support for the law school. The success of this program is evident because the giving participation rate for alumni working at participating firms is more than the rate of law alumni giving overall.
Firm participation is vital to preserving the high standards in legal education that distinguish Wake Forest Law School from the rest of the pack. The annually published Firm Giving Honor Roll celebrates those firms who have met the challenge of 100% alumni giving participation and recognizes their commitment to the future of the law school.
Moreover, The firm with 100% participation and the highest average gift will be the winner of the WF Law Firm Challenge. The Law Firm Challenge Cup will be presented to the winning firm at Law Alumni Weekend. The Cup will remain with that firm until the end of the next year’s competition.
WHY THE FIRM GIVING PROGRAM?
1. Increase Alumni Giving Participation
The Law Firm Challenge seeks to raise the WFU Law alumni participation rate. “Participation” is the percentage of law school alumni who make a gift of any amount to the law school each year. Participation is not just a statistic. It is the primary way alumni support is measured and impacts the law school’s reputation. By making a gift, alumni demonstrate the value they place on their legal education and their interest in staying connected with Wake Forest. Our participation rate is viewed as a vote of alumni satisfaction and is often considered by corporations and foundations when directing gifts to WFU. Last fiscal year, approximately 25% of all WFU Law School alumni made a gift to the law school, which is lower than other peer schools.
2. Promote your Law Firm
Participating firms that achieve 100% participation are listed on the annual WFU Firm Giving Honor Roll. Special recognition is given to those firms who achieve 100% among alumni at all firm locations.
The Honor Roll is also prominently displayed in the Career Services lobby and interview suite during on-campus interviews. It is also published annually in the Jurist magazine and on the WFU Law School website.
In addition to Honor Roll recognition, the firm with 100% participation and the highest average gift, will be presented with the Law Firm Challenge Cup at the Annual Partners’ Celebration. The Cup will remain with the winning firm until the end of the next year’s competition.
3. Strengthen the Wake Forest Network
The program is designed to build and highlight the WFU connections that we have through many firms. The Firm Giving Program helps alumni working in different firms to unite in the common cause of supporting their alma matter.
