The Lew and Ann Williams estate recently funded the University of Oregon Law School’s business law fellowship program with $500,000.
The bequest established an endowment, which will enable the UO Business Law program to expand its Business Law Fellows Program to include second- and third-year law students who are interested in pursuing a career in business law.
The expanded Business Law Fellows program will launch in August 2021. Students selected to participate in the Fellows program during the 2021-2022 academic year will receive a one-year appointment and financial support in the form of a $5,000 tuition scholarship.
In this collaborative Fellowship program, second- and third-year Fellows will work closely with business law faculty mentors. Students will have an opportunity to research in a variety of business-law-focused areas, work on cutting edge issues, and focus on developing solutions for real world problems.
Fellowships facilitate a connection with business law faculty, augment the students’ academic experiences, and provide needed financial support as students pursue their law degree. “Fellowships like these add an invaluable new dimension to a legal education,” said Andrea Coles-Bjerre, Associate Professor and Faculty Director of the Business Law Program. “They are a great opportunity for our students to experience, and assist with, the vital research projects that the faculty engage in.”
Lew (Lewis) and Ann Williams were generous donors to the University of Oregon dating back to the 1970s. Though neither of them attended the University of Oregon, they lived in Eugene for most of their marriage, before moving to the Palm Springs area shortly before Lew passed away. Ann most recently resided in California, where she was from originally, and she was devoted to many charitable causes. Ann enjoyed the time she spent with Dave and Lynn Frohnmayer in her later years.
The couple’s long-time attorney, Bob Sullivan, assisted the UO with their estate gift. Once the Lew and Ann Williams Business Law Endowment was created, Bob said, “I know it makes Lew and Ann (wherever they are) very happy and proud.”