Villanova University has announced a $13 million gift from alumnus Charles Widger (JD '73) and his wife, Barbara, in support of the Charles Widger School of Law.

Named for Widger in 2016 in recognition of a $25 million gift, the school will use the latest gift to expand its Professional Development and Leadership Program — providing support for programmatic needs and creating new positions including an endowed associate dean, a director, and a faculty liaison for professional development and leadership, as well as a director for public interest. The gift also will support a practitioner in the John F. Scarpa Center for Entrepreneurship and Law, a new visiting professor position in intellectual property, and other strategic initiatives.

In addition, the gift will be used to strengthen faculty research and scholarship, including in the areas of economics, business, entrepreneurship, and related regulatory issues. It also will provide matching funds for young alumni for the establishment of endowed scholarships.

"It is our hope that creating these new initiatives and investing in existing ones will enable the Law School to launch into its next great chapter," said Widger, whose commitments to the university total more than $43 million. "In strengthening the focus on professional development and leadership for our students, the law school will help guarantee lifelong success for those practicing law grounded in ethics and a commitment to the common good. It is imperative for our lawyers of tomorrow to have the ethical understanding, leadership skills, and business acumen to solve the complex problems facing the world today."

(Photo credit: Villanova University)