More. . .

About giving

How to Give

Thank you for your interest in making a gift to the Law School!

  • To make a gift online via Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover, please click here.  
  • To make a gift by check or credit card, please send your gift to:
    Office of External Affairs
    University of Chicago Law School
    1111 East 60th Street
    Chicago, IL 60637 
  • To make a gift over the phone, please contact the Office of External Affairs at (773) 702-9629. 
  • To make a gift of securities, please click here. 

Matching Gifts

Many businesses and law firms will match gifts to the Law School, enabling donors to maximize the impact of their support.

To find out if your company has a matching gift policy, please click here.

If your company is eligible, please contact your employer’s human resource department for the matching gift form, and send it completed and signed with your gift.

Thank you for your support!

Making a Special Gift

Gifts of securities or other appreciated property
Gifts of long-term appreciated property can be especially beneficial to both you and the Law School. Examples of appreciated property include securities, real estate (both residential and commercial), and such personal property as works of art, rare books, and antiques.

In most cases, you are entitled to a charitable deduction based on the property's fair market value and you pay no capital gains tax on the appreciation if and when the property is sold by the Law School. Therefore, the value of your gift will likely be considerably greater than its cost to you.

Normally, the charitable deduction for gifts of appreciated property is limited to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income, but you may carry forward and use any excess deduction in up to five additional years.

Please click here for instructions on how to make a gift of securities or other appreciated property.

Life-income gifts
Life-income gifts allow you to give an asset and receive income during your lifetime or for a term of years. Some types of life-income gifts enable you to make a substantial gift while you retain, or even increase, income from the assets you give.

Once you transfer assets to the University (for the ultimate benefit of the Law School)--whether they take the form of cash, securities, or other appreciated property--the University invests the proceeds from the sale of the assets and pays you, or designated beneficiaries, an income for life or for a specified term of years. Your personal charitable and financial objectives will determine the structure of your gift. You may choose gifts that provide the certainty of fixed payments, or those that offer variable payments depending on market conditions. The Law School's development staff and the University's Office of Gift Planning will assist you in structuring a planned gift to suit your personal circumstances.

Gifts through your estate plan
If you are like many alumni, you have contributed to the Law School over the years. Have you considered also including the Law School in your estate plan? You can make a gift of cash, securities, real estate or other assets to the Law School from your will or your living (revocable) trust. You can make a specific bequest to the Law School or designate a percentage of your estate as a gift. By doing so, you reduce the size of your estate, thereby reducing any estate taxes that may be due. By including the Law School in your estate plans and informing us, you become a member of the Phoenix Society, the University's recognition society for those individuals making gifts using deferred giving vehicles. Our staff would be happy to talk to you to discuss these various gift choices and to provide you with the appropriate language so that the University can use your gift in ways that are meaningful to you.