The University of Florida’s law school said Thursday that it’s getting a $40 million donation—the final gift from late alumnus and trial lawyer Fredric G. Levin, for whom the school is already named.
Levin died in January at age 83, and the new donation comes from his estate, the school said. The funds will support initiatives including student scholarships and public interest summer stipends for students working at government and non-profit entities. The donation will also bolster the recently established HBCU Pathway to Law Endowment, which provides scholarships to graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities who come to the law school.
“[The University of Florida] Law has made tremendous progress because of the financial support of the Levins and the support of other donors who have been inspired by the Levins’ generosity,” law dean Laura Rosenbury said in a statement.
Levin graduated from the Gainsville law school in 1961 and spent his career at the Pensacola firm now called Levin Papantonio Rafferty, Proctor, Buchanan, O’Brien, Barr & Mougey. He was best known for taking on the tobacco industry in the 1990s.
Levin donated $10 million to the law school in 1999, prompting its renaming to the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Altogether, the Levin family has given the school more than $60 million over the years.
“Dad loved UF Law, and he loved seeing how his contributions made the law school a better place for students, faculty, and alumni,” said his son, Martin Levin, in a statement on the donation.
