Double Impact

By Sarah Kellogg

PHILANTHROPY ISN’T ONLY about giving. It’s about vision, legacy, and an audacious hope to reshape the world. The right donation at the right time can topple barriers and fuel innovation. It’s a force, especially when matched and multiplied, that turns generosity into something far more powerful: lasting change.

In recent months, 10 generous alumni and supporters have leveraged GW Law’s 2024–2025 Scholarship Endowment Match to double the value of their donations. Thanks to $500,000 in dollar-for dollar matching funds, the transformative initiative has helped underwrite endowed scholarships for students with demonstrated financial need and academic merit.

“This is a remarkable moment to make a difference,” said Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew. “Through our 2024–2025 Scholarship Endowment Match, every contribution is amplified. Together, our donors are expanding access to a world-class legal education for students of exceptional promise and need. By investing now, they are helping to unlock opportunity, fuel ambition, and shape the future of the legal profession.”

The match was available through June 30, 2025, or until all matching funds became fully committed, whichever came first. With the campaign, GW Law has sought to grow its scholarships for JD students and to ensure a quality education is within reach for those who have proven merit and need.

Among the donors who have committed to the matching program, each shares a dedication to GW Law and its mission. Yet, their motivations are diverse, ranging from a desire to give back and support impactful initiatives, to fostering the success of deserving students and establishing a lasting legacy that transcends their own professional journeys and personal lives.

Launching a Legacy of Giving

FOR CYNTHIA M. PATTON, JD ’86, philanthropy is more than a tradition. It’s a legacy of impact rooted in gratitude, resilience, and a belief in the future. In a deeply personal tribute, she has chosen to endow and name a scholarship to honor her stepdaughter, who graduated this spring from GW Law.

“She’s brilliant, compassionate, and deeply committed to making a difference,” said Patton, who believes the Sarah B. Robinson Social Justice Scholarship will honor her beloved stepdaughter while also challenging the honoree to excel in her own legal career. “I’m hoping Sarah will contribute to this scholarship in her name as she advances and is more able to give.”

This act of naming is more than symbolic. It’s a celebration of family and the powerful ripple effects of education and opportunity. For Patton, giving to the law school is also a way of staying connected to the community that shaped her, while helping mold the leaders of tomorrow, especially those scholars who have tremendous need. Patton has committed $125,000 for the scholarship, which totals $250,000 with the match.

Patton’s journey through law school was transformative, shaping not only her career but her core values.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without the support I received from GW,” said Patton, who is general counsel and secretary of Tessera, the biotech and healthcare company. “Giving back is about lifting up the next generation, especially students who, like me, were the first in their families to attend law school.”

The scholarship is designed to support first generation law students. “I had a full academic scholarship, and then took out loans to live on because my parents could not afford to pay for law school,” said Patton. “Naming the scholarship in my stepdaughter’s honor is a way to recognize her spirit and the shared values that connect us.”

Her giving isn’t just financial. Patton is deeply engaged in supporting young people throughout their legal journeys, both with her stepdaughter and the young attorneys who come to her company. Her vision for philanthropy is holistic, one that includes emotional investment, practical guidance, and creating a legacy that lives beyond a single donation.

Leading by Example

JOSEPH CHAN’S STORY begins, like many at GW Law, with ambition, curiosity, and a determination to succeed. For Chan, JD ‘94, the school was a steppingstone to a legal career, and a transformative experience that shaped his professional path and personal values.

“GW gave me so much—an excellent education, critical opportunities, and a network that’s been vital throughout my life,” said Chan, senior counsel for Sidley Austin LLP, in the firm’s New York office. “Giving back is a way of saying thank you.”

A successful corporate attorney and member of GW Law’s Business and Finance Law Advisory Council, Chan committed to a gift of $50,000—totaling $100,000 with the match—to encourage others to support the school. His reason is simple and heartfelt: gratitude.

Chan sees his support, especially the scholarship endowment he helped fund, as a way to open doors for students who might not otherwise have access to a legal education. “I want bright, driven students to have the same opportunities I had, regardless of their financial background,” he explained. “I hope this inspires others to give back in whatever way they can.”

Chan recalls with fondness his life in Washington, DC, the cultural offerings, and the spirit of service embedded in the community. His own legal journey led him to Shanghai for Sidley Austin and a stint as chief legal officer at Yum China Holdings before returning to Sidley Austin’s New York office.

The matching gift program, in particular, reflects a desire to encourage a culture of giving among the law school’s alumni community. “Every gift, no matter the size, has the potential to change a student’s life,” he emphasized. “If we all contribute, we create a ripple effect, and hopefully see more scholarships, more resources, more opportunities.”

Philanthropy as a Collective Endeavor

FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS, Professor Stephen Saltzburg has called GW Law his home. His deep connection to the institution is reflected in his steadfast financial support, a commitment he shares with his wife, and his unerring commitment to the scholarship and academic life of the institution.

“I give money every year to the University of Pennsylvania, where I went to law school, and I give money every year to GW, because it’s been my home for 35 years now,” said Saltzburg, the Wallace and Beverley Woodbury University Professor of Law and co-director of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Program. During this matching campaign, Saltzburg committed $50,000, totaling $100,000 with the match.

To Saltzburg, philanthropy isn’t an obligation. It is an act of devotion and an investment in the future. “I love the institution, and I think that one of the ways that you show your affection is to donate, to give back something to an institution that’s done a lot for me,” he said, adding that he wants GW Law to continue to thrive and support future generations of students.

Saltzburg and his wife, Susan Lee, are deeply involved in charitable efforts, particularly at GW Law and the National Cathedral, where she serves on the Dean’s Council. This shared passion for giving reinforces the idea that philanthropy is a collective endeavor, one that strengthens institutions and builds lasting legacies. “My wife and I enjoy supporting the charitable organizations that we are associated with,” he says, emphasizing how important it is to approach giving as a couple. “She’s very big at the National Cathedral... and I give my emphasis to GW.”

For those considering how they can make a difference, Saltzburg suggests that giving to something you care about and where you have a sense of belonging can be a good start. And, as he and his wife exemplify, doing so together makes the impact even greater.

His story is a testament to the power of giving and the importance of supporting institutions that have shaped one’s life. Through his contributions, Saltzburg helps ensure that GW Law remains a place of excellence for future students, faculty, and the broader legal community. His belief in giving as a couple further reinforces the idea that philanthropy is most powerful when it is a shared commitment.

A Legacy of Learning and Giving

FOR WESTON D. “WES” Burnett, JD ’75, LLM ’83, giving back is not just a choice. It’s a family tradition. Born into a lineage of educators and public servants, he was raised with an unwavering belief in the transformative power of education.

His grandparents helped fund his and his siblings’ education, and he and his wife, Barbara, have carried the torch forward in their generation, already pre-funding the educations of their grandchildren. They donated $100,000 to the GW Law Scholarship Endowment Match campaign, boosted to $200,000 with the match.

That spirit of generational giving runs deep. Both his father and grandfather—Naval Academy graduates—sought out unfunded midshipmen and personally supported them. His grandfather even endowed the Naval Academy Library archives after authoring four naval history books. He recognized the importance of preserving institutional knowledge without expecting federal support.

“My grandfather had a real passion for international affairs and shared that with me,” said Burnett, who is principal wealth manager for Creative Planning, a financial services firm. “Barbara and I have lived on three continents, and on both coasts here in the United States during our marriage.”

Following in his family’s footsteps, Burnett served 27 years in the U.S. Navy before retiring in 2000. Along the way, he married Barbara, just a week after her graduation from Vanderbilt University. With just enough savings to cover a year and a half of law school and a modest salary from her teaching, Burnett graduated from GW Law without debt, a feat he attributes to hard work and support from loved ones.

That debt-free start and the skillset he acquired at GW Law shaped his life. “From my perspective, the law school gave me the analytical tools to do a great job for the Navy for 27 years, and then to start fresh at 50 and excel for another 20 years,” Burnett said.

After retiring from the Navy, he launched a law and financial services firm, offering interdisciplinary support in legal, tax, financial, and insurance matters. The business eventually merged with a larger company, which he still works with, capping off a second distinguished career.

Burnett sees his philanthropy to GW Law as both repayment and investment. It’s a way to honor the values instilled in him by his family, education, service, and support for the next generation. Just as his family gave so he could thrive, the Burnetts are ensuring that future lawyers can do the same.

“We support things we think will be better because of it,” he said simply. “For us, that’s GW Law, which helped us both go so far.”

Advancing Health Law

WHEN THOMAS AND ILONA Fox reflect on their journey, from young newlyweds scraping together law school tuition on a Fairfax County, Va., teacher’s salary (hers) to globetrotting professionals, they do so with pride, gratitude, and a desire to give back.

That commitment to giving has been made tangible through their generous support of GW Law’s Health Law Program. They helped plant the seeds for the program a decade ago and are now proudly nurturing it with an additional gift.

Thomas Fox, JD ‘66, built a distinguished legal career specializing in healthcare law—a field that barely existed when he began. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, Fox returned to Washington, DC, in 1970 to begin practicing law. Over the decades, he would help build a nationally recognized healthcare practice within his firm, ultimately retiring from Reed Smith after more than 40 years. His career spanned landmark developments in Medicare and Medicaid and later focused on the complexities of the Federal False Claims Act.

“My wife and I had known each other in college and became engaged,” said Fox. “And I said, ‘it might be a good idea to get married,‘ I said, because we can combine assets. And she said, ‘but you don’t have any assets.’ I told her not to worry, it would be a good bet in the long run.”

The Foxes’ commitment to GW Law is a shared passion. “We do this together,” Fox said of his wife, a former French teacher. She has been an enthusiastic partner in their philanthropic journey ever since the beginning. “I think I’ve paid back her investment in me,” said Fox, noting that his practice has taken them beyond Washington, DC, to live in San Francisco and London. “It’s been a very good life.”

In 2015, the couple created the Thomas and Ilona Fox Health Law Scholarship with an initial gift of $50,000 and an additional $15,000 to get it off the ground. Their aim was simple: to encourage and support students passionate about healthcare law. The program’s momentum stalled during a period of leadership transitions at the law school, but that didn’t last long.

“Meeting Dean Matthew was a game changer,” said Fox, when she arrived at GW Law. “Her enthusiasm and commitment were magnetic.” In a clever twist on pandemic-era connection, the new dean invited donors to a virtual “wine and cheese” gathering—and made sure that wine and cheese were hand-delivered to the Foxes’ home before the Zoom began. “It was that kind of thoughtfulness and energy that showed us she meant business,” he said.

Reinvigorated by her vision, the Foxes doubled down. They pledged another $50,000, which was matched by the law school, and now another $10,000 donation to be matched. “We wanted to support her mission—not just with words but with action,” Fox said. “If Dean Matthew called today and asked for help, we'd say 'yes.'"

Philanthropy

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Cynthia M. Patton, JD ’86 

Sarah B. Robinson Social Justice Scholarship
$125,000 ($250,000 with match)

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David Briggs, JD ’75

David Briggs Endowed Scholarship
$50,000 ($100,000 with match)

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Jeff Hessekiel, JD ’96

Heather Henson and Jeffrey Hessekiel Scholarship in Health Law and Policy
$50,000 ($100,000 with match)

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John Pachter, JD ’66 LLM ’70

John and Ilene Pachter Government Contracts Scholarship
$50,000 ($100,000 with match)

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Matthew Blum, JD ’88

Blum Family Scholarship
$50,000 ($100,000 with match)

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Professor Steven Schooner, LLM ‘89

Schooner Family Scholarship
$50,000 ($100,000 with match)