Press Release
Duane Morris to Contribute $100,000 to the University of Pennsylvania Law School Endowed Chair in Civil Rights
PHILADELPHIA, January 11, 2007 - Duane Morris LLP announced that the firm has pledged $100,000 to the University of Pennsylvania Law School to help in funding the new Raymond Pace and Sadie T.M. Alexander Chair in Civil Rights. The endowed chair, still in the fundraising stage, will support the work of legal scholars in the area of civil rights.
"Duane Morris is pleased to join with the Law School in support of this fundraising effort," Duane Morris Chairman Sheldon Bonovitz said. "It is important that law students be aware of the contributions of great African-Americans. No one has made a greater contribution in this arena than this unique couple." The contribution was first raised by the firm's Diversity Committee, led by Duane Morris Partner Nolan Atkinson, Jr.
The Alexanders were pioneers in law and government through much of the 20th century. Sadie Alexander achieved a number of "firsts." She was the first African-American woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, to be admitted to the Pennsylvania bar and to earn a Ph.D., which she received in Economics in 1921. She served on the President's Committee on Civil Rights in 1947 under Harry S Truman, and in 1978 was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to chair the White House Conference on Aging, which addressed the social and economic needs of the elderly.
Raymond Pace Alexander, a prominent lawyer and politician in Philadelphia, successfully litigated numerous discrimination cases that resulted in equal access for African-Americans to public schools, restaurants and hotels in Philadelphia. He became the first African-American judge on the bench of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, in 1959. Raymond also decided the case that approved, over objection, the establishment of Community Legal Services. He died in 1974, at 76 years of age.
Several Duane Morris attorneys are closely connected with the Alexanders. After her husband's death in 1974, Sadie Alexander practiced in the firm of Atkinson & Archie, which included current Duane Morris partners Bob Archie and Nolan Atkinson. She died in 1989, at 91 years of age.
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP, among the 100 largest law firms in the world, is a full-service firm of more than 600 lawyers. In addition to legal services, Duane Morris has independent affiliates employing approximately 100 professionals engaged in other disciplines. With offices in major markets, and as part of an international network of independent law firms, Duane Morris represents clients across the United States and around the world.
