UC Irvine law school receives first $1 million

The Joan Irvine Smith and Athalie R. Clarke Foundation has donated $1 million to UC Irvine’s new school of law, marking the first major gift to the school, which the UC Regents approved last fall.

Smith, the great-granddaughter of Irvine Ranch founder James Irvine, provided the money through the foundation she started with her mother. Her money is intended to support the establishment of the library’s core collection.

“My mother and I always believed that UCI had to have a law school in addition to medical, business and engineering schools in order for the campus to advance as a major university, so I am gratified to see it come to fruition,” Smith said in a release.

— Michael Miller