In Memoriam: Bonnie Reiss ’69

Bonnie Reiss ’69, former vice-chairperson of NYU Law's Board of Trustees, passed away on September 4, 2017. Upon graduating from the Law School, Reiss practiced law in New York City for 13 years with the Federal Trade Commission, Macmillan Publishers, and JC Penney. After leaving law practice, she became deeply involved in philanthropy, particularly surrounding education.

In 1994, Reiss started the Reiss Family Scholarship Fund, which now supports three NYU Law JD candidates, eight Dartmouth College students, and two Harvard University undergraduates each year. Along with her husband, Richard Reiss ’69, she endowed the Bonnie and Richard Reiss Chair in Constitutional Law at the Law School, currently held by Samuel Issacharoff, and the similarly named speaker series in Constitutional History and Law at the New York Historical Society.

In addition to her considerable generosity with the Law School, Reiss was a committed supporter of Prep for Prep, which honored her in 2015. She was a member of the Parents' Association at the Brearley School and served on the Boards of the Big Apple Circus, Midori & Friends, and Guild Hall of East Hampton.  

Posted September 7, 2017