I got this letter in an e-mail from Law Center Dean Baynes.
The effort to build a long-overdue new facility for the University of Houston Law Center reached the first milestone in January when alumni and friends raised $10 million toward construction. This philanthropy showed the broad support of this project to state legislators as they considered a request for $60 million in funding, which President Renu Khator has noted is the University of Houston’s 2019 legislative agenda’s number one building request.
On April 17th the University of Houston Law Center cleared a major hurdle when the Texas House of Representatives approved $50 million in funding and we await action now in the Senate. We thank all of our supporters including every individual donor, the Houston Bar Association, the Greater Houston Partnership, and more than 20 managing partners of top law firms who have spoken on our behalf. Without your efforts we would not be where we are today.
The slogan for the ongoing building campaign is “More than Bricks” — and so it is. The effort to replace the Law Center’s 50-year-old building has brought together students, alumni, faculty, university administrators, legislators, attorneys and business leaders. “We began this fundraising effort with a message about creating a new Law Center building for the many, by the many, so that future students could see the diversity of alumni, donors, and champions who invested in them,” said Eloise Brice, vice president for advancement at the University of Houston. “This has been accomplished through gifts big and small, from alumni far and wide and this movement is just beginning.” The site has been chosen, plans drawn, and excitement is high as we prepare to raise additional funds to close the gap and then break ground in 2021.
The proposed five-story, $90 million building will befit the quality of education taught within its walls, enhance the value of a degree from the city’s top law school, add top legal talent to the local marketplace, and underscore the city’s growing image as a dynamic place to live and work.
“The Law Center continues to be at the forefront of the legal and educational communities,” said Paula Myrick Short, UH senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and UH senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Not only has it had three programs ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News & World Report for the past 11 years, but the Law Center continues to be recognized for its efforts to promote diversity in the legal profession.”
We appreciate your continued support and the building, as the campaign slogan promised, will be “more than bricks.” It will embody a broad commitment to quality education, public service, community involvement, and the city at large.
Sincerely,
Leonard M. Baynes
Dean and Professor of Law
University of Houston Law Center