SUNY BUFFALO LAW PHILANTHROPY - SUNY Buffalo Law School

12SUNY BUFFALO LAW PHILANTHROPYLeadership GivingGift reflects his gratitudeUB Law School was a verydifferent place whenRobert M. Kornreich ’67began his legal education.For one thing, it was still locatedat 77 W. Eagle St. in downtown Buffalo,a brisk walk away from the city’scourtrooms.“The school was tiny –the class was much smaller than it isnow – but it had a very high-qualityfaculty,”Kornreich says.“And it had anexcellent reputation, not just in Buffalobut generally, and it aspired to be anational law school.”After graduation, Kornreich tookthe train back to his native New YorkCity and built a premier securitiesfraud practice with the firm WolfPopper, where he now is a senior partner.Aspecialist in securities class andderivative litigation in federal andstate courts, he is a member of thefirm’s Executive Committee and cochairsits Litigation Department.But he had little occasion ever tobe in Western New York, and it wasonly when his class’s 40th anniversaryapproached that he reacquaintedhimself with SUNY Buffalo Law –and was surprised at what he found.“I hadn’t been there in 30 years ormore,”he says.“But having personalcontact with the school, meetingsome of the professors, the dean,some of the students, and hearingwhat was going on, that made me feelI had a genuine interest in the school.”Responding to an invitation lastyear to join the Dean’s AdvisoryCouncil, he says that service on theDAC has further impressed upon himthe progress SUNY Buffalo Law hasmade and the necessity for alumnisupport for its mission.“When the school calledme, I thought I shouldshow my appreciation forhaving received such agood education thatlaunched my career. ”– Robert M. Kornreich ’67“Until I became a member of theDAC,”he says,“I didn’t have a full appreciationof the Law School’s problemsand the constructive ways theyare dealing with them. I find it extremelyexciting to see what’s beingdone to develop the faculty, improvethe infrastructure, and increase theschool’s ability to fund-raise. … It hasopened my eyes to all that is going onat the Law School. Because I was aDAC member I felt I could play moreof a role – that I had some input intowhat was going to happen.”That involvement now has translatedinto a major gift of $100,000 insupport of the school’s mission, a giftthat Kornreich says reflects his gratitudefor the three years that launchedhis legal career.“I have reached the point in my careerwhere I feel grateful that I pursuedlaw as a profession,”he says.“When the school called me, Ithought I should show my appreciationfor having received such a goodeducation that launched my career. Itwas a combination of guilt, the feelingthat I should give back, plus the factthat this was a good time to get interestedin what’s going on at the LawSchool.”He says he is impressed with DeanMakau Mutua’s ambitions for theschool’s national standing.“The deanhas set the goal at a much higher level,”Kornreichsays,“and it’s alwaysgood to have a goal that’s substantiallyabove where you are, because thatmakes you reach for it.”In addition, he says, the school –though substantially larger than it waswhen he was sitting in torts class andworking on the Law Review – is still asmall enough organization that hisgifts of time and resources can make adifference.“I felt I had a more personalcontact to the recipients of my donation,”hesays.“With some largecharities, your donation gets lost.Andwhere the state has historically beensupportive of the University and stillis, it can’t make the same level of contributionit previously did.“The Law School needs the alumninow more than ever.”