Simmons Law School

In 2026, SIU Simmons Law School proudly builds on five decades of excellence, providing a legal education shaped by our enduring mission: transform our students into the lawyers and community leaders of tomorrow. We deliver a high-value education that equips students to thrive in today’s evolving legal landscape—whether in a legal aid office, large urban firm, corporate boardroom, or government agency.

Our faculty are distinguished practitioners and accomplished scholars, recognized both for their impactful research and their unwavering commitment to teaching and mentorship. Since our first graduating class in 1976, more than 4,500 alumni have carried the SIU Simmons Law legacy forward, including over 180 judges, demonstrating the strength of our powerful alumni network that supports students and graduates alike with externships, mentorship, and career opportunities across the public and private sectors.

For Day of Giving you have a unique opportunity to invest in a program with measurable impact and bold aspirations for the future. Together, we can ensure our next 50 years are as transformative as our first.

Please see our funding priorities below and click the fund you would like to support.

Simmons Law School Strategic Excellence Fund: Donations to this fund allow Dean Brenner Johnson to respond quickly to arising needs of students and faculty, as well as invest in building the future of the law school.

Law Student Scholarship Fund: Donations to this fund support our endeavors to keep legal education affordable and allow us to recruit and retain the best and brightest students.

Law Student Public Interest Support Fund: Provides stipends directly to students that help sustain unpaid or low-paid summer internships, clerkships, and public interest work.

In addition to these funds, we have several others that are crucial to the success of the school, including student organizations, specific programs and more. If the fund you want to support is not listed you can search by keyword under designations.