UCLA Law School Receives $5.5M Gift

By City News Service

A $5.5 million gift to the UCLA School of Law will be earmarked for the Williams Institute for the study of sexual orientation and gender identity law, it was announced Tuesday.

The gift from philanthropist Charles R. "Chuck" Williams aims to foster the think tank's growth in the next decade.

"We are honored by the ongoing philanthropic investment of Chuck Williams," said Rachel F. Moran, dean of the law school. "With this generous gift, he continues to play a transformative role in helping the Williams Institute expand knowledge at the intersection of sexual orientation and gender identity law and policy."

Since its founding in 2001 with an inaugural $2.5 million gift from Williams -- at that time said to be the largest donation given to an academic institution in support of any gay and lesbian academic program -- the institute has become known for its research on the subject, according to UCLA.

To date, Williams has committed more than $15 million to help establish the institute.

"Chuck Williams recognized a critical need for high-quality academic research focused on issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people," said Brad Sears, assistant dean at the law school and executive director of the Williams Institute.

"Because of his generosity, the Williams Institute has set a high bar for research, policy analysis and education that directly inform LGBT issues,'' Sears added. "This remarkable new gift will fuel our growth as we expand our domestic and international research and education programs."

A UCLA alumnus, Williams is a former senior executive at Sperry Corp. and now presides over the consulting firm Williams and Associates.

He is currently a board member of The UCLA Foundation and the UCLA School of Law board of advisors, as well as a member of the Gill Foundation's OutGiving advisory committee.