MILWAUKEE — Marquette University President Kimo Ah Yun announced today that a $3 million gift from the Ray & Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust will create an endowment to support Marquette Law School’s Office of Public Service and the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics.
Marquette Law School’s Office of Public Service, established in 2006, connects law students and lawyers with meaningful opportunities to serve the community and expand access to justice across Wisconsin.
The Eckstein Charitable Trust is challenging the community to raise an additional $2 million in funds. If that goal is met, the trust will contribute an additional $2 million, bringing the total endowed investment to $7 million.
“Ray and Kay Eckstein have dramatically transformed our campus over the past two decades, and this new investment will help sustain a vital safety net in Wisconsin,” President Ah Yun said. “We are grateful to the members of the Eckstein family for their continued faith in Marquette’s mission to prepare purpose-driven leaders.”
Honoring a legacy
Dean Joseph D. Kearney noted that the gift helps create a centennial commemoration of Ray Eckstein, as 2026 marks what would have been his 100th birthday.
“Throughout my relationship with Ray and Kay, they wanted one thing from us at Marquette,” Kearney said. “They wanted excellence. We met that challenge, with their landmark gift in 2007, as the Law School’s home in Ray and Kay Eckstein Hall, opened in 2010, continues to set the standard in legal education across the country. We are most grateful for this new gift from the Ray & Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust, which advances the Jesuit mission of educating ‘men and women for others’ — professionals who rely on their knowledge, skills, and values to serve people in need.”
Kearney noted that Eckstein Hall includes the Howard B. Eisenberg Suite, housing the Office of Public Service. Eisenberg, who served as dean of the Law School from 1995 until his death in 2002, personally modeled a commitment to pro bono work. “We created the Office of Public Service in 2006 to carry on the work of Dean Eisenberg and, more generally, to advance Marquette University’s mission,” Kearney said. “The Eckstein Charitable Trust’s gift and challenge will advance us even further in our pro bono efforts.”
Pro bono service with purpose
The Marquette Law School Volunteer Clinics, initially inspired by a “student spark” and with the leadership of women alumni, have developed and grown substantially since being launched in 2002. The MVLCs follow a brief legal advice model, which pairs volunteer attorneys with law students to provide immediate, targeted assistance. The clinics, which have served people in 67 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, provide legal guidance on a wide array of civil matters and serve approximately 6,000 people annually. The guidance includes family law, child support, small claims, landlord-tenant disputes, evictions, debt resolution, probate, guardianships, and immigration law, as well as advice for small businesses and nonprofits.
“In our clinics, access to justice isn’t just an idea — it’s a reality, carried out by hundreds of students and lawyers working side by side,” said Angela Schultz, assistant dean for public service.
For nearly a quarter century, the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics have offered hope and advocacy, with 70% of those served living at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. Each year, nearly 250 attorneys dedicate their time to providing pro bono services alongside law students in the clinics, with about 200 Marquette law students participating annually.
“Ray and Kay Eckstein represent the power and impact that transformational philanthropy can have at our university, in our city of Milwaukee, and throughout the nation,” Vice President for University Advancement Tim McMahon said, “The Eckstein Charitable Trust’s leadership continues to inspire our Marquette community as we celebrate the Ecksteins’ extraordinary legacy.”
The Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics have several locations in the community, including at the House of Peace on Milwaukee’s north side; at the United Community Center on Milwaukee’s south side; inside the Milwaukee County Courthouse at the Milwaukee Justice Center; and on the west side at the Milwaukee County Veterans Service Office. The MVLCs also include the Mobile Legal Clinic serving the Milwaukee metro area and online programs extending their reach throughout the state of Wisconsin.
About Marquette University
Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university located near the heart of downtown Milwaukee that offers a comprehensive range of majors in 11 nationally and internationally recognized colleges and schools. Through the formation of hearts and minds, Marquette prepares our 11,100 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional students to lead, excel and serve as agents of positive change. And, we deliver results. Ranked in the top 20% of national universities, Marquette is recognized for its undergraduate teaching, innovation and career preparation as the sixth-best university in the country for job placement. Our focus on student success and immersive, personalized learning experiences encourages students to think critically and engage with the world around them. When students graduate with a Marquette degree, they are truly prepared and called to Be The Difference.
