Barry Feld ’69: A Lifetime as Student, Teacher, Scholar, and Donor
Paying it forward for the next generation
“The Law School gave me a great life, and I want to pay it forward.”
—Barry Feld ’69
In 1966, when Barry Feld ’69 arrived as a student at Minnesota Law, it was the first time he had ever been west of West Virginia. After graduating, he briefly left the state to get his Ph.D. in sociology at Harvard before returning to Minnesota, this time as a Law School faculty member.
When Feld, professor of law emeritus, says the Law School changed his life for the better, he’s not exaggerating. He met his wife, Patricia, while walking across the Washington Avenue Bridge. The two have been together for 55 years. He’s published 11 books, including three that earned the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences’ Outstanding Book Award. More than 150 courts have cited his work, including the U. S. Supreme Court. And, of course, he taught thousands of students throughout his 44 years as a professor before retiring in 2016.
Undoubtedly, he would include the Law School in his planned giving.
“The Law School gave me a great life, and I want to pay it forward to the next generation,” he said. “It’s that simple.”
As a student, Feld said state funding and money from a summer job would cover tuition. He acknowledges that’s not the current reality for aspiring lawyers, and that’s why he wants to give back so future students can have the opportunities he did.
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We are so proud of the exceptional legal education Minnesota Law provides for future generations of lawyers. In fact, we were the only law school ranked this year as both a top 20 school by U.S. News & World Report and a top 20 school for practical training by National Jurist! Our dedicated teachers, collegial culture, and plentiful experiential learning opportunities offer students a truly transformative legal education. Your continuing commitment to the Law School makes this possible. Without our alumni and friends, we could not support 28 clinics on everything from immigration to tax, or groundbreaking research and public policy work by nationally recognized scholars, or the scholarships that make top-notch opportunities available to students from all backgrounds, or dozens of other innovative programs I could have named instead. I hope you will consider a planned gift to Minnesota Law that will reflect your commitment to the next generation of our profession and continue our tradition of excellence.
Warmly,
William McGeveran
Interim
Dean
and Gray, Plant, Mooty, Mooty & Bennett Professor of Law
Barry Feld ’69
“For those of us who have been privileged to have the lives we have had because of the Law School, it’s only responsible to pay it forward and to give back.”
Barry Feld ’69
Feld is incredibly grateful for his arrangement with a school allowing him to teach all his classes in the fall semester so he could spend time writing and researching at his 140-acre farm in the wilderness of Northern Minnesota.
“Bob Stein, God bless him,” he said about Professor Robert A. Stein ’61, who is a former Law School dean and the current Everett Fraser Professor of Law and Distinguished Global Professor. It was Stein who first allowed the flexibility that enabled Feld to become one of the country’s most prominent juvenile justice scholars.
“I have been very blessed to have had a career in which I’ve had a major impact on the juvenile justice field,” he said. “In 1995, I was on the commission that rewrote our state juvenile code. The conceptual framework of that code came out of an article I had written in 1978 criticizing the legislature. I can trace my scholarship into law in Minnesota, other states, and nationally. One of the best parts of my career was seeing the direct policy applications of the empirical research I was doing. That’s why it was such a great ride.”
Feld still gathers with his classmates from the Class of 1969 annually for informal reunions. The class is generous, funding a scholarship in their name for the past 15 years.
“When my classmates and I get together, we all comment on what a great opportunity for life the Law School gave us,” he said. “For those of us who have been privileged to have the lives we have had because of the Law School, it’s only responsible to pay it forward and to give back.”
Make your impact: Gift Planning for Future Generations of Lawyers
Planned gifts are as varied as the donors who make them. By partnering with Minnesota Law, along with your family and trusted advisors, you can create a plan that reflects your charitable goals, maximizes potential benefits, provides financial security for you and your loved ones, and creates a lasting legacy for you that will help the Law School remain a leader worldwide.
Did you know there are many ways you can support Minnesota Law?
· Continue your support of the Law School with a legacy gift. With a gift in your will or trust, you can give a specific amount, or a percentage of what remains after you’ve provided for your loved ones.
· Name the Law School as a beneficiary You can direct support to the Law School by naming the University of Minnesota Law School as a beneficiary of your retirement account, life insurance policy, donor advised fund, bank or brokerage account for all or a portion of the proceeds.
· Make a gift and receive income. Several gift options provide you or others with income for life, with the remainder used to benefit the Law School. These gifts can also provide significant tax benefits, especially if you use appreciated assets to fund your gift. Some donors choose to defer the payments to provide for additional retirement income.
· Give appreciated assets. Giving securities that have increased in value, such as stocks, bonds or mutual funds, is a tax-efficient way to support the Law School. For securities held longer than one year, donors may deduct the full fair market value, subject to applicable limitations. Donors who do not itemize deductions may still benefit by avoiding capital gains tax that would otherwise be due at sale. There are similar tax benefits for donating other appreciated assets, such as real estate.
All gifts to the Law School can be designated to the area or program that is most meaningful to you. You may consider establishing a new named fund in honor of a loved one, or give to one of our existing funds for the Law School.
To learn more about planned giving and ways you can achieve your philanthropic goals, contact David L. Jensen, Chief Advancement Officer, at dljensen@umn.edu or (612) 625-2060.
You may also visit law.umn.edu/give/planned-giving
“We want graduates to have flexibility in their career, so they don’t have to seek the highest paying job when they graduate.
Mark Southerst ’83
Expanding Opportunities for Students Through Giving
Closing the Gap with Scholarship Support
Mark ’83 and Shahla Southerst are enthusiastic supporters of funding educational opportunities. Both were first-generation college students who immigrated to the United States. Before attending Minnesota Law, Mark completed his undergraduate degree in 1980 from the University’s Carlson School of Management. He remembers being the recipient of significant tuition subsidies from the state of Minnesota while in law school. school. Since then, those state subsidies have decreased dramatically.
“We are trying to help out so when someone graduates with their degree, they don’t go into debt,” says Shahla, originally from Iran. “We are hoping students come from all over the world like us to get educated and be successful and they won’t have to struggle by not having enough money to get their education.”
The couple, who are retired and live in Florida, want to help students avoid debt so they can pursue careers they’re interested in. That’s why they’ve included the Law School in their estate planning, but they’ve also already given gifts because they wanted to have an immediate impact on the school. Recently, they funded a new endowed scholarship.
“We want graduates to have flexibility in their career, so they don’t have to seek the highest paying job when they graduate,” says Mark.
“I learned in my career that it’s better to be satisfied and happy than to chase money or do something that doesn’t interest you.”
He added: “It’s great seeing students leave Minnesota Law and enter the big law firms, but we also need lawyers for public service and government jobs, and to serve in small communities in Minnesota. Getting lawyers to go to the small towns is so hard, and the need is there. But if they’re burdened with hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, they’re less likely to take these other career paths.”
Mark spent the majority of his career in Texas as chief legal officer and secretary for Greyhound Lines. That’s where he met Shahla, a paralegal at the company. Even though he left Minnesota more than 40 years ago, he has stayed in close contact with Minnesota Law and his former classmates. He was part of the Minnesota Law’s Driven to Lead campaign committee, helping raise more than $100 million from 2017-2021.
“I know how important the Law School is nationally, to the state, and the University at large,” he says. “If Minnesota wants to
continue to grow, create jobs and provide opportunities for students, the only way to do that is through giving — paying back and paying forward to the next generation. That’s why we have given already and have pledges and commitments going into our estate.”
IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution
Giving a gift to Minnesota Law directly from your IRA is a tax-wise giving option to support future generations of law students. If you are 70 1/2 or older, you may give up to $105,000 directly to qualified charities without paying federal income tax on the distribution. Distributions made under this law can be used to satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD). Instead of taking a charitable income tax deduction for the gift, you may exclude the distribution from your income.
Mark ’83 and Shahla Southerst
University of Minnesota Law School
229 19th Ave. South Minneapolis, MN 55455
ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED
“I give because it’s simply the right thing to do. My Minnesota law school education and law degree has enabled me to enjoy over 55 years of a very satisfying career as a lawyer (a truly noble profession), and I plan to continue doing so for as long as I can make a positive contribution to society. Hopefully the Stanley V. Kinyon annual faculty awards will continue to be given long after I’m gone.”
RICHARD KINYON ’65
Join the 1888 Society with a Legacy Gift
The 1888 Society celebrates the founding of the University of Minnesota Law School and the generous individuals who have chosen to secure its future by including Minnesota Law in their estate or financial plans. By documenting a planned gift, you create a lasting legacy in support of our mission of training the next generation of world-class lawyers. With your permission, we will recognize your planned gift through enrollment in the 1888 Society, the University of Minnesota’s Heritage Society, and recognition at the Law School and in various published materials. While we would never publish the estimated value of your planned gift, we do want to show you the appreciation you deserve.
For further information on planned giving, contact:
David L. Jensen Chief Advancement Officer
University of Minnesota Law School
dljensen@umn.edu or (612) 625-2060
This publication is prepared exclusively for the information of the University of Minnesota Law School’s alumni, parents, and friends. Its purpose is to highlight current developments that may be helpful in your financial and philanthropic planning. With wise planning, you may be in a better position to support the Law School’s mission of training the next generation of lawyers. The information herein is based on current federal tax laws and regulations. You should always consult your own attorney or tax adviser as to the applicability of your own situation.
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