The UT College of Law has recently been endowed with $100,000 to support a diverse student body.
The law firm behind the Diversity Endowed Scholarship is Nashville’s Waller, Lansden Dortch & Davis. The firm hosted an inaugural luncheon on Thursday to introduce their benevolent funding. Various public officials, attorneys and leaders within the Nashville community were in attendance.
Doug Blaze, Dean of UT’s College of Law, accepted the award on behalf of the institution and its students.
“We have a strong relationship with the firm and the firm has a strong commitment to diversity, as does the law school and university,” Blaze said. “Partnering with us to help ensure that our students, and the legal profession, reflect the rich diversity of our state and nation reflects that strong commitment.”
The firm holds a prominent place in the Nashville community, with 54 of its partners currently recognized in The Best Lawyers in America rankings.
Fortunately for UT’s students, the law school has ties to Waller Lansden that run deep.
“We have a close relationship with the firm and work closely with them on professional development of our students — they hire several of our graduates every year,” Blaze said.
The law school has worked over time to develop this relationship, leading to the law firm’s contribution.
“This was an objective of the firm’s board, which has a very strong commitment to diversity,” Heather Bryan, assistant director of Development and Alumni Affairs for the law school, said.
UT alumni practicing with the firm have taken an active interest in furthering the diversity present in higher legal education.
“We are very grateful for the gift from Waller, Lansden Dortch & Davis,” Bryan said. “In these economic times, it is our goal as a development staff to continue to seek scholarship funding in order to keep the educational costs down for our students. This gift caps a wonderful year of fundraising for the College of Law.”
John Tishler, chairman of Waller, Lansden, Dortch, & Davis, is a graduate of UT’s law program. Tishler and his firm have dedicated their donation to advancing the goals of Martin Luther King Jr. by financing the tuition of one law student recipient.
This student will be chosen based on his or her career goals, social or economic disadvantage, race, gender and unique life experiences.
“(An ideal candidate) would be someone who reflects the legacy of Dr. King through their commitment to service and equality for all and who adds to the richness of our increasingly diverse student body through consideration of a wide variety of factors such as their unique personal history, experiences, ethnic and cultural background, career goals, social and economic circumstances, and age,” Blaze said.
Waller Lansden has worked to bolster the educational environment of UT law school in the past as well.
“A number of alumni members of the firm have been long-time financial contributors to the College of Law,” Blaze said.
The law school certainly benefits from their ongoing loyalty to the institution and its aims.
“The College of Law has a great group of supportive alums, and we are thankful for their time, talent and resources,” Bryan said.
In coming years, the firm plans to continue the tradition of the Martin Luther King Jr. banquet, presenting the scholarship to UT law students as part of the festivities. This year’s theme, “The Legacy, It’s Our Turn” was designed to spotlight the words and actions of King, specifically his emphasis on personal community service.
The most recent endowment is a direct consequence of the prestigious reputation the UT law program has built in the surrounding community.
“The College of Law is very proud of its strong relationship with the practicing bar — including lawyers employed in government service, at large, medium and small firms, in solo practice, and in business,” Blaze said. “We work hard to maintain those relationships, and Waller Lansden is a great example of that. We value their support, their advice and their commitment to improving our profession and system of justice.”
Walter Lansden serves corporations in the U.S. and internationally, dealing with areas of litigation and regulation compliance.
