This year's Class Gift committee sets record for number of new Weinfeld Fellows

The presentation of the Class of 2012’s gift to NYU School of Law at the Law School’s Convocation on May 18 represented a significant institutional milestone. Not only did the sum of more than $125,000 in cash and pledges, presented to Board of Trustees Chair Anthony Welters ’77 by Class Gift committee co-chairs Gerardo Gomez Galvis ’12, Elana Wilf ’12, and Catherine Karayan (LL.M. ’12), constitute the largest Class Gift since 2008, but the Class of 2012 also has the greatest number of new alumni ever to become Weinfeld Fellows: 36.

Elana Wilf ’12, Anthony Welters '77, Dean Richard Revesz, and Gerardo Gomez Galvis ’12 Weinfeld Fellows are alumni who have graduated in the past decade and contribute $1,000 or more to the Law School annually as part of the Weinfeld Program, NYU Law’s most prestigious giving society. The program, which originated in 1989, includes more than 1,000 alumni. Member gifts support the library, institutional research, student journals and organizations, and financial aid at the Law School, contributing significantly to advances in legal education at NYU Law in the recent past. Weinfeld donors attend special events throughout the year, including programs on legal education, social gatherings, receptions for visiting dignitaries, and the annual Weinfeld Gala.

“We thought it was really important to lead this effort for our class and to encourage people to give back, to show our class’s support for the school and to thank the school for all of the great opportunities that we’ve been able to benefit from during our three years there,” said Wilf. “People were excited about the opportunity to contribute to the school to make sure that future students can have the same opportunities in clinical programs, career services, and professors that we’ve been fortunate enough to have.”

Anthony Welters '77, Catherine Karayan (LL.M. ’12), and Dean Richard ReveszApart from their efforts to put together the Class Gift, Wilf and the rest of the committee sought out new Weinfeld Fellows. “It’s a testament to the class and to the school that so many people wanted to join the Weinfeld Program,” she said. “It is a lot of money, especially given the economy. But it really shows our support of NYU.”

“We couldn’t be more delighted with the outstanding results of this year’s Class Gift effort,” said Sara Rubin, assistant dean for development and alumni relations. “The Class Gift committee and chairs provided tremendous leadership, finding creative ways to articulate the needs of the Law School and the importance of participating in the Class Gift. I think the record-setting number of new Weinfeld members is reflective of the Class of 2012’s genuine commitment to preserving the high standards of excellence in law education long synonymous with NYU School of Law.”

“Sara Rubin was amazing,” said Wilf. “She put us to the test and inspired us to break the record. Once we told our class that we could have a record number, they were really encouraged as well to get other people to join. We actually had a lot of different classmates come up to us, telling us about people they thought would make good Weinfeld Fellows. Fundraising is never an easy thing, especially with students who have a lot of loans and other commitments. The committee members were really wonderful in all their efforts.”

Posted on June 8, 2012