The University of Cincinnati is renaming its law school in honor of one of its most influential alumni, following a landmark gift that leaders say will shape the school’s future for generations.
The college will be rededicated as the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law at the University of Cincinnati following a $43.2 million commitment from the Klekamp family. The naming honors Donald Klekamp, a 1957 UC law graduate. The UC board of trustees approved the change at a special meeting Monday, acting on a recommendation from President Neville G. Pinto.
Founded in 1833, the UC College of Law is the fourth-oldest continuously operating law school in the country. The gift marks the largest in the school’s history.
“Today’s action by the Board of Trustees marks a defining moment for the University of Cincinnati and our College of Law,” Pinto said in a statement. “The Klekamp family’s extraordinary generosity honors Donald Klekamp’s legacy while strengthening our ability to prepare the next generation of talented legal minds. This investment advances our mission, expands opportunity for our students and positions the college for even greater national impact.”
A legacy rooted in Cincinnati
The naming reflects a decades-long relationship between the Klekamp family and the university, as well as a broader commitment to the Cincinnati community.
Donald Klekamp, a retired founding partner of Cincinnati-based Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL, has long been a central figure in the region’s legal and philanthropic communities. His ties to UC span decades, including the creation of the Donald P. Klekamp Professorship of Law in 1995, which supports research and teaching and is currently held by Michael E. Solimine.
Klekamp received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the UC College of Law in 1993 and was named a Greatest Living Cincinnatian in 2023.
He has often credited his late wife, Marianne Klekamp, with shaping both his personal and professional life. A 1956 UC graduate, Marianne was active in Kappa Kappa Gamma and the UC Marching Band and was known for her passion for the arts as a pianist, singer and actress, according to the Klekamp family.
Together, Donald and Marianne, who were married for 65 years until her death in 2022, supported numerous nonprofits and schools across Greater Cincinnati. Their children – Peter Klekamp, Jody Klekamp, Amy Geers, Molly Tassone and Rebecca Keating – said the gift reflects values instilled by their parents.
“I consider myself very lucky, and my sisters do as well, to have them as our parents,” said Peter Klekamp. “They instilled in us many traits that have helped us to succeed—honesty, hard work, giving back. We were loved.”
Investing in access and impact
That legacy now extends into the future of the law school through a gift designed to expand both opportunity and impact.
Pledged over time, the $43.2 million commitment will support four core areas within the college: scholarships, experiential learning, student success and the Corporate Law Center.
The funding aims to expand access to legal education through a mix of merit- and need-based scholarships while strengthening hands-on learning opportunities. Plans include support for the Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program and the creation of a new endowed professor of practice to lead experiential programs.
Additional resources will go toward student success initiatives, including professional staff to guide students through law school and funding for bar exam preparation. The Corporate Law Center will also see expanded support, including a dedicated directorship, an endowed chair in corporate law and tax, and funding for key programs such as the Corporate Law Symposium and the Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic.
Taken together, those investments represent a significant shift in what the college can offer students and how it competes nationally.
“This gift does not simply add resources to our college—it fundamentally changes what is possible for us,” said Haider Ala Hamoudi, the school’s dean and also a law professor.
“We know that to reach our full potential, we need the ability to compete for the best students through meaningful scholarship, deepen our dedication to student success and elevate our Corporate Law Center into a nationally prominent program,” Hamoudi continued. “The Klekamp family’s generous gift gives us the capacity to do all of that, and to do it in a way that compounds over time. We have been building something here. This gift allows us to take it to the next level.”
Klekamp College of Law at the University of Cincinnati
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