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22 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | March 28, 2022 U Conn School of Law turned 100 in 2021, a century marked by progress, excellence, and impact on Greater Hartford, the state of Connecticut, and beyond. On Founders' Day on Oct. 25, Dean Eboni S. Nelson recounted the evolution of the school from its 1921 founding by George Lillard and his wife, Caroline. What began as a store- front night school has become a preeminent law school whose students, faculty, staff, and alumni are advancing justice in local, national, and global communities. Today, U.S. News and World Report ranks UConn School of Law as the best public law school in the Northeast. Its distinguished alumni have broken barriers and reached positions of distinction in the government and private sectors. They include J. Agnes Burns, the first female attorney to appear before the Connecticut Supreme Court, former Connecticut Gov. Thomas Meskill, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney. Others of note include retired Judge Christopher Droney of the U.S. Court of Appeals and Judge Vanessa Bryant, the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge in New England. On March 31, John Brittain, the first Black tenured professor at UConn School of Law, will be honored for his role as one of the lead counsel in the landmark Sheff v. O'Neill school desegregation case. UConn Law's growth reflects the growth of the opportunities it offers both to prospective and enrolled students and the community. Scholarships and fellowships are available and UConn Law has sponsored pipeline programs such as its Summer Law Institute and Pathways to the Legal Profession to bring more diversity to the law school and the legal profession. Clinics expand justice for immigrants, low-income taxpayers, criminal defendants, entrepreneurs, veterans, children, and the elderly. Students from UConn's Asylum and Human Rights Clinic, for example, are working on two cases for Afghan clients who came to the U.S. as part of the Kabul evacuation. UConn Law's Animal Law Clinic spearheaded passage of a 2016 law creating Connecticut's first Courtroom Animal Advocacy Program. The law, named Desmond's Law in honor of a severely abused dog, has inspired similar laws in other states. Maine has already passed a law modeled on Desmond's Law and the clinic is working with advocates and legislators in New Jersey to pass a version of it there. Throughout its history, UConn Law has been strengthened by alumni and friends who have donated resources to help it achieve its goals. In this centennial year, the school seeks to raise $5 million to carry students into the next century. "We want to ensure access to the life-transformative experiences that UConn Law offers and raise the level of support for faculty research and initiatives, so that we can foster a more just and equitable society," says Nelson. To learn more about the UConn School of Law Centennial Celebration, visit centennial.law.uconn.edu. Read about the Founders' Day Centennial Kick-off event at s.uconn.edu/100law. UConn Law School: A Century of Progress Top Public Law School in Northeast Celebrates Centennial Student fellows of the Center on Community Safety, Policing and Inequality Bryce Simmons, Shane Russell, and Mumina Egal gather for a meeting on the UConn School of Law campus. The School is celebrating its centennial. research.uconn.edu U C O N N R E S E A R C H A strong partner in Connecticut's future.