HLS Likely to Start Capital Fund Drive

A special self-examination project at the Law School may lead to the school's first major capital fund drive in 20 years, officials said yesterday.

Such a campaign would cover the costs of proposals resulting from the four-month-old special planning process, which is examining the Law School's academic and financial programs.

A special committee headed by Associate Dean Frank E. A. Sander and Fairchild Professor of Law Andrew L. Kaufman '51 is considering extending many of the newer education programs and renovating or adding to the school's buildings.

Vorenberg: Drive Likely

"Although this is by no means certain," Law School Dean James Vorenberg '49 wrote in the winter issue of the Law Bulletin, "in order to achieve our goals we must have a capital fund drive." Law School administrators have since confirmed that a major effort is likely.

"We're looking at everything in the way we use space in the school from the student dorms to faculty offices," Kaufman said. "We are also looking at the education program and the faculty aid program. To cover the cost, people are thinking about a fundraising drive."

Sander said a capital fund drive would be by definition a major effort. The last one, in 1968, raised $15 million. But he said, "We're not ready to put a price tag on it, not even one of the vaguest kind."

Sander said that if the Law School chose to conduct a capital campaign, it would be similar in structure to the $350 million one the College has just completed.

"The committees and faculty will consider when this whole process is over if we should have a capital fund campaign," said Sander. "Alumni would obviously be a major group involved. There would also be an appeal to foundations."

Earlier this week, Kaufman said the planning committees were already discussing a major fundraising effort in response to the proposals being considered.

Dean for Development Scott G. Nichols said that he thought predictions about a fund campaign were "far too preliminary," adding that "it's still way down the road."

Nichols said that although he was unsure whether the school would conduct a capital fund drive, he thought it could meet its goals without great difficulty.

"[The alumni] would obviously be heavily involved," Nichols said. "There are a lot of different ways to make sure that we don't just shift the money from one fund to another. That's the purpose of the planning process."