Thomas, Mack gift to fund legal clinic

Jennifer Knight

Friday, Sept. 21, 2001 | 10:17 a.m.

A $2 million gift to the Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will fund a legal clinic designed to provide hands-on training for students as well as legal services for low-income residents.

The donation announcement Thursday was given by Joyce Mack and the Thomas family and is a key portion of funding that will further the law school's efforts to gain full accreditation.

"This gift, coupled with money from the Legislature, is a wonderful example of private-public collaboration," UNLV President Carol Harter said.

The law clinic provides legal representation to abused children and teenagers who often go without representation during court proceedings.

"If you don't have access to justice, it's easy to feel frustrated with the system," said Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, who is also the executive director for Clark County Legal Services. "You've given a chance to individuals who otherwise would feel neglected and disenfranchised."

Buckley said that only about 10 percent of the children in the system are getting representation. The hope is that the money will go to fund law students, who want to go into this type of work, a chance to gain experience on cases.

When the Legislature announced during the 2001-2003 session there would be cutbacks in funding to higher education, UNLV officials first worried that it would affect funding to the law clinic, which was a crucial portion of accreditation for the school.

But the money came through, followed by the Thomas and Mack gift, which will be endowed so that it will provide a source of income in perpetuity.

This is the second announcement of a donation within just two weeks, quelling earlier concerns that Harter's fund-raising sources had dried up. In late July, a small group of donors aired concerns that Harter was too abrasive to potential donors, causing UNLV to lose money.

Regents met with Harter to discuss the complaints but found no cause for action.

"It's business as usual," said John Gallagher, chair of UNLV's foundation. "I think we'll either have a good year if not a great year."