On May 22, 2008, several hundred alumni, faculty, staff, distinguished leaders, and friends of the Marquette University Law School gathered on Tory Hill to break ground for Eckstein Hall. During the ceremonies, I paused to contemplate the enormity of the day and couldn’t think of a more exciting and proud time for us all to be alumni of Marquette University Law School.
While it is easy to understand the many benefits this magnificent new building will bring to the lives of faculty, staff, and future students, I think the building is almost as important for the alumni for several reasons. Most significantly, the extraordinary generosity of Ray and Kay Eckstein, Joseph Zilber, and the donations of hundreds of alumni made this groundbreaking possible and the continued financial support of alumni will be needed to finish the job.
But beyond the financial aspect, I believe the building is significant for the alumni due to its future role as a showcase for Marquette University Law School as a nationally recognized leader. The facility will provide a spotlight onto the academic excellence, community leadership and outreach efforts, and national leadership in the law that is already occurring at the school. In other words, while the building will not create the greatness that exists today at Marquette University Law School, it will help it to be better known throughout the region and the country.
As the Law Alumni Board President, I would like to personally invite you to get involved in the Marquette Law Alumni Association. In our mission, we serve as ambassadors of the law school, assist with recruiting and mentoring of students, provide opportunities for alumni networking, recognize and honor distinguished alumni, and more. In short, we do whatever we can as alumni to support the school’s mission of “Excellence Faith Leadership and Service.”
You can join in our mission by attending Law Alumni Association events, both in Milwaukee and other parts of the country, helping out on a committee, agreeing to mentor a student, submitting a nomination for our annual alumni awards, and many other ways. Of course, with significant fundraising still needed for Eckstein Hall and with additional fundraising needs for scholarships, your financial contributions at every denomination are critically important and greatly appreciated.
Again, welcome to the Marquette Law Alumni Association and please contact us with an update on how you are doing and let us know how we can involve you in helping fulfill the mission of Marquette University Law School. We are Marquette!
Peter Kujawa, L'02
President Marquette Law Alumni Association
