The Conley Society

 

The Judge Charles Swinger Conley and Ellen Conley Society (“Conley Society”) is the NYU Law legacy donor recognition program named in honor of Charles Swinger Conley ’55, civil rights attorney and Alabama’s first elected black judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Macon County, and his wife Ellen Conley, former educator for the Department of Defense who served as his right-hand, chauffeur, and protector throughout the turbulent ‘60s. “I’d always insist on getting out of the car first,” said Ellen. “If a bullet was coming, it would get me. Chuck had important work to finish.” During the height of the civil rights movement, Judge Conley’s office on Bainbridge Street operated as a hub for social activism in Montgomery, Alabama, where leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and Ralph Abernathy, Sr. sought his legal advice and counsel.

The Conleys also believed deeply in the power of education and were longtime supporters of NYU Law, establishing the Honorable Charles Swinger Conley Scholarship within the AnBryce Program through a bequest made by Judge Conley—securing a permanent memorial honoring Judge Conley’s historic career and commitment to justice and ensuring that future graduates would continue to have the chance to pursue their own passions in civil rights and public interest law. Prior to her passing in December 2018, Ellen Conley also named NYU Law as a beneficiary of her own estate. 

The Conley Society recognizes those individuals who have incorporated NYU Law into their planned giving and whose estate and life income gifts will provide lasting support for our extraordinary institution and talented students. Conley Society members share a commitment to excellence and education. Your gift supports our mission—training and educating future leaders who will go on to make a positive impact in the world. Much like Judge and Ellen Conley, your gift leaves behind a legacy that will educate and empower leaders for generations to come.

Conley Society Members:

• Include alumni and friends who have incorporated NYU Law in their planned giving. Gifts may take many forms and include estate plans, wills, trusts, life income gifts, retirement plans, life insurance policies, and additional vehicles.
• Are not expected to pay dues or make additional obligations of any kind.
• May be an individual, couple, corporation, organization, or foundation.
• May designate their gifts to areas of their choosing at NYU Law.

Benefits Provided to Conley Society Members Include: 

• Exclusive invitations to Conley Society events, including luncheons, receptions, and lectures delivered by some of the Law School’s key constituents.
• Priority updates on exciting developments at NYU Law.
• Belonging to a special community of donors.

 

“NYU Law gave my husband a chance to study the law. A chance he never would have had otherwise, and what he learned gave him the tools to fight for change. We both wanted to give back to the community that had really embraced us, in the hopes that others would have similar transformational experiences.” —Ellen Conley