A new GW Law School academy will teach students management skills, thanks to an alumnus’ donation.
David Falk, who graduated from the school in 1975, announced the Falk Academy of Management and Entrepreneurship during a law school event last week. Falk said the academy – called FAME – will offer second- and third-year law students opportunities for hands-on experience by offering panels, speakers and mentoring from industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors.
“FAME is about encouraging people to get out beyond the four walls of the classroom here in Washington, D.C., and find activities that will amplify your learning,” Falk said at the event.
Falk said he took advantage of GW’s unique location as a law school student and hopes current students can be exposed to different options for after graduation. Officials declined to reveal the size of Falk’s donation.
He added that he will be an active part of the academy by teaching and serving on an advisory board.
“Unlike most benefactors who put their name on the building and then walk away and you never hear from them again, I would like to be very actively involved,” Falk said.
Falk went on from law school to manage professional basketball player Michael Jordan and invent the concept of Nike’s Air Jordan shoe.
Falk dedicated his donation to his mother, a Long Island teacher who taught him the importance of a strong education.
“She was my mentor, and when I give this money, it is my way of honoring my mother,” Falk added.
University President Steven Knapp said exposure to real experiences outside of classroom learning will not only offer “invaluable opportunities” but will also provide students with a competitive edge to ensure they succeed after graduation and seek careers that are outside of the box.
Blake D. Morant, the dean of the law school, said at the event that adding this academy will make GW’s law school more competitive in teaching and innovation.
“The law schools that are going to be relevant are those law schools that look innovatively at what they do, to really move the needle, to provide more than what is expected and to be able to give students the kind of encouragement they need to think entrepreneurially about utilizing their degree,” Morant said during the event.
Morant and the new advisory board of FAME intends to also assist students with finding jobs and creating a tight-knit alumni community.
Morant said FAME will serve as a resource for students to “maximize not only the individual’s achievements but also show you are invested in this individual beyond the immediacy of what they are doing.”
