NYU School of Law has received a $20 million gift from alumna Frank Guarini, who graduated in the 1950s. A former New Jersey State Senator and US Congressman, Guarini’s gift is being used to support the Guarini Institute for Global Legal Studies. 

Interdisciplinary research

The aims of the Guarini Institute include providing a platform for in-depth, interdisciplinary study of transnational legal and regulatory issues, as well as the technology-driven transformation of legal services and global legal practice. Benedict Kingsbury, vice dean for global programs and Murry and Ida Becker Professor of Law, will serve as faculty director of the Institute. Guarini says: 'Our increasingly international world needs lawyers who can meet the complex challenges presented by a changing global and technological landscape.' The Guarini Institute will support numerous initiatives, including NYU Law Abroad; the Global Fellows Programme; the International Conference Series; the Emile Noël Lecture Series; the Jean Monnet Center for International and Regional Economic Justice; and the scholarship of the Law School’s global and international faculty. 

A generous benefactor

Guarini has supported a number of initiatives at the school, and NYU Law Dean Trevor Morrison says: 'Frank Guarini embodies what it means to do well and do good. In his extraordinary career, he has been a highly successful lawyer and businessman, a dedicated public servant, and a generous benefactor. With his latest gift, Frank is helping ensure that the Law School maintains its preeminent position in international legal scholarship and education.'