This study looks closely at the history and intentions of lawyers at the top 100 law firms in the USA to donate to their law school alma maters and other law schools. The study includes data on the percentage of lawyers who have ever donated to their law school alma mater, as well as a separate data set about contributions to law schools other than the one attended. In addition, the report presents data on the amounts contributed over the past two years and expected over the next two years.
In addition, the study pinpoints those areas of law school philanthropy that most interest attorneys at major law schools, with separate data sets measuring interest in supporting pro bono/legal clinics, student scholarships, endowed chairs and other faculty support, or specific legal centers or institutes.
The report also measures how many attorneys have been recently approached by law schools for financial support, giving specific data for approaches by email, social media, text, phone or mail.
Data in the reports is based on a sample of 221 attorneys at 65 major US law firms. Data is broken out by gender, work title, age, law school ranking, predominant area of legal practice and other variables.
Just a few of this report’s many findings are that:
- 24.02% of respondents have been contacted by phone by their old law school in the past year to be asked for a donation.
- Lawyers specializing in general finance and banking and in mergers/acquisitions and private equity, were the least likely to have donated.
- Partners were more than twice as likely as associates to have donated.
- On average, women contributed more than men.
Table of Contents
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
- Characteristics of the sample
- Institutional Affiliations of the Survey Participants
SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
- Percentage of Respondents Contacted by Phone for a Donation in the Past Year
- Percentage of Respondents Contacted by Mail for a Donation in the Past Year
- Percentage of Respondents Contacted by Email for a Donation in the Past Year
- Percentage of Respondents Contacted by Text Message for a Donation in the Past Year
- Percentage of Respondents Contacted Through Social Media for a Donation in the Past Year
- Percentage of Respondents Who Have Ever Made Donations to the Law School they Attended
List of Tables
Table 1 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation?
Table 1.1.1 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Phone
Table 1.1.2 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Phone Broken out by legal field
Table 1.1.3 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Phone Broken out by age of respondent
Table 1.1.4 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Phone Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 1.1.5 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Phone Broken out by size of law firm
Table 1.1.6 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Phone Broken out by work title
Table 1.1.7 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Phone Broken out by political views
Table 1.1.8 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Phone Broken out by assessment of law school or legal education
Table 1.2.1 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Mail
Table 1.2.2 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Mail Broken out by legal field
Table 1.2.3 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Mail Broken out by age of respondent
Table 1.2.4 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Mail Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 1.2.5 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Mail Broken out by size of law firm
Table 1.2.6 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Mail Broken out by work title
Table 1.2.7 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Mail Broken out by political views
Table 1.2.8 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Mail Broken out by assessment of law school or legal education
Table 1.3.1 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Email
Table 1.3.2 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Email Broken out by legal field
Table 1.3.3 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Email Broken out by age of respondent
Table 1.3.4 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Email Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 1.3.5 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Email Broken out by size of law firm
Table 1.3.6 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Email Broken out by work title
Table 1.3.7 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Email Broken out by political views
Table 1.3.8 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Email Broken out by assessment of law school or legal education
Table 1.4.1 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Text Message
Table 1.4.2 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Text Message Broken out by legal field
Table 1.4.3 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Text Message Broken out by age of respondent
Table 1.4.4 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Text Message Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 1.4.5 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Text Message Broken out by size of law firm
Table 1.4.6 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Text Message Broken out by work title
Table 1.4.7 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Text Message Broken out by political views
Table 1.4.8 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? by Text Message Broken out by assessment of law school or legal education
Table 1.5.1 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? Through Social Media
Table 1.5.2 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? Through Social Media Broken out by legal field
Table 1.5.3 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? Through Social Media Broken out by age of respondent
Table 1.5.4 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? Through Social Media Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 1.5.5 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? Through Social Media Broken out by size of law firm
Table 1.5.6 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? Through Social Media Broken out by work title
Table 1.5.7 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? Through Social Media Broken out by political views
Table 1.5.8 To the best of your knowledge has the law school you attended contacted you by any of the following means in the past year to request a donation? Through Social Media Broken out by assessment of law school or legal education
Table 2.1 Have you ever made a financial donation to a law school that you attended?
Table 2.2 Have you ever made a financial donation to a law school that you attended? Broken out by legal field
Table 2.3 Have you ever made a financial donation to a law school that you attended? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 2.4 Have you ever made a financial donation to a law school that you attended? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 2.5 Have you ever made a financial donation to a law school that you attended? Broken out by size of law firm
Table 2.6 Have you ever made a financial donation to a law school that you attended? Broken out by work title
Table 2.7 Have you ever made a financial donation to a law school that you attended? Broken out by political views
Table 2.8 Have you ever made a financial donation to a law school that you attended? Broken out by assessment of law school or legal education
Table 3.1 Have you ever made a donation to a law school that you did not attend but admire or wish to help?
Table 3.2 Have you ever made a donation to a law school that you did not attend but admire or wish to help? Broken out by legal field
Table 3.3 Have you ever made a donation to a law school that you did not attend but admire or wish to help? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 3.4 Have you ever made a donation to a law school that you did not attend but admire or wish to help? Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 3.5 Have you ever made a donation to a law school that you did not attend but admire or wish to help? Broken out by size of law firm
Table 3.6 Have you ever made a donation to a law school that you did not attend but admire or wish to help? Broken out by work title
Table 3.7 Have you ever made a donation to a law school that you did not attend but admire or wish to help? Broken out by political views
Table 3.8 Have you ever made a donation to a law school that you did not attend but admire or wish to help? Broken out by assessment of law school or legal education
Table 4.1 Over the past two years, how much have you given to any law school? (IN USD)
Table 4.2 Over the past two years, how much have you given to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by legal field
Table 4.3 Over the past two years, how much have you given to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by age of respondent
Table 4.4 Over the past two years, how much have you given to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 4.5 Over the past two years, how much have you given to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by size of law firm
Table 4.6 Over the past two years, how much have you given to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by work title
Table 4.7 Over the past two years, how much have you given to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by political views
Table 4.8 Over the past two years, how much have you given to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by assessment of law school or legal education
Table 5.1 Which of the following at a law school would you most want to support financially? (choose one)
Table 5.2 Which of the following at a law school would you most want to support financially? (choose one) Broken out by legal field
Table 5.3 Which of the following at a law school would you most want to support financially? (choose one) Broken out by age of respondent
Table 5.4 Which of the following at a law school would you most want to support financially? (choose one) Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 5.5 Which of the following at a law school would you most want to support financially? (choose one) Broken out by size of law firm
Table 5.6 Which of the following at a law school would you most want to support financially? (choose one) Broken out by work title
Table 5.7 Which of the following at a law school would you most want to support financially? (choose one) Broken out by political views
Table 5.8 Which of the following at a law school would you most want to support financially? (choose one) Broken out by assessment of law school or legal education
Table 6.1 Over the next two years in the aggregate how much do you think you will contribute to any law school? (IN USD)
Table 6.2 Over the next two years in the aggregate how much do you think you will contribute to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by legal field
Table 6.3 Over the next two years in the aggregate how much do you think you will contribute to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by age of respondent
Table 6.4 Over the next two years in the aggregate how much do you think you will contribute to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by gender of respondent
Table 6.5 Over the next two years in the aggregate how much do you think you will contribute to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by size of law firm
Table 6.6 Over the next two years in the aggregate how much do you think you will contribute to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by work title
Table 6.7 Over the next two years in the aggregate how much do you think you will contribute to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by political views
Table 6.8 Over the next two years in the aggregate how much do you think you will contribute to any law school? (IN USD) Broken out by assessment of law school or legal education
Samples
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Sources / Contributors
- Akin Gump
- Allen & Overy
- Alston & Bird
- ArentFox Schiff LLP
- Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
- Baker Botts LLP
- Ballard Spahr LLP
- Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
- Bryer
- Canales - Zambrano
- Cooley (UK) LLP
- Cozen O'Connor
- Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
- Debevoise & Plimpton
- Dentons US LLP
- DLA Piper LLP
- DPW
- Duane Morris LLP
- Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath
- Foley & Lardner LLP
- Fox Rothschild LLP
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
- Goodwin Procter LLC
- Greenberg Traurig, LLP
- Harvard Law School
- Hogan Lovells
- Holland & Knight
- Howe
- Jenner & Block
- Jones Day
- K&L Gates LLP
- Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
- Latham & Watkins LLP
- Linklaters LLP
- Locke Lord LLP
- Magloughlin
- Mayer Brown LLP
- McDermott Will & Emery
- McGuireWoods
- Milbank
- Mintz
- Nixon Peabody LLP
- Norton Rose Fulbright
- O'Melveny and Myers
- Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
- Paul Hastings LLP
- Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
- Polsinelli PC
- Quinn Emanuel
- Scott & Scott
- Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
- Sidley Austin LLP
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
- Skadden, Arps. Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
- Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP
- Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP
- Venable LLP
- Vinson & Elkins LLP
- Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
- Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
- White & Case LLP
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
- Zoltan
Note: Opinions and answers from respondents are those of individuals not institutions. The list below is produced to indicate the legal world from which the respondents are drawn, not to suggest institutional sponsorship, approval or participation by any law firm or other institution.
Methodology
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