The University of Cincinnati College of Law is being renamed the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law following a $43.2 million gift from the Klekamp family, marking the largest donation in the law school’s nearly 200-year history. The contribution, made in honor of alumnus Donald P. Klekamp, will be pledged over time and is designed to support scholarships, experiential learning, student success initiatives and the expansion of the school’s Corporate Law Center.
The University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees approved the renaming at a special meeting, formalizing a major milestone for the institution. The investment is expected to enhance the law school’s ability to attract top students, expand hands-on training opportunities and strengthen its national standing.
Founded in 1833, the College of Law is one of the oldest continuously operating law schools in the United States. The institution has produced prominent leaders across government, business and the legal profession, and has recently seen rising applications and strong bar passage performance.
Donald P. Klekamp, a 1957 graduate of the law school, is a retired founding partner of Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL. He has long supported legal education at the university, including establishing a professorship of law in 1995. The Klekamp family’s latest gift builds on that legacy and is aimed at expanding opportunities for future generations of law students.
The funding will help grow scholarship offerings, deepen experiential learning programs, enhance student support services and further develop the Corporate Law Center through faculty investment and programming.
KEY QUOTES:
“Today’s action by the Board of Trustees marks a defining moment for the University of Cincinnati and our College of Law. The Klekamp family’s extraordinary generosity honors Donald Klekamp’s legacy while strengthening our ability to prepare the next generation of talented legal minds. This investment advances our mission, expands opportunity for our students and positions the college for even greater national impact.”
Neville G. Pinto, President, University of Cincinnati
“This gift does not simply add resources to our college—it fundamentally changes what is possible for us. We know that to reach our full potential, we need the ability to compete for the best students through meaningful scholarship, deepen our dedication to student success and elevate our Corporate Law Center into a nationally prominent program. The Klekamp family’s generous gift gives us the capacity to do all of that, and to do it in a way that compounds over time. We have been building something here. This gift allows us to take it to the next level.”
Haider Ala Hamoudi, Dean And Nippert Professor Of Law, University Of Cincinnati College Of Law
