Hilarie Bass

UM News

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (March 20, 2014) —  As a lawyer in training at the University of Miami, Hilarie Bass grew to love the area in the School of Law quadrangle known as The Bricks. Now, thanks to a generous $1 million gift to the School of Law from the UM alumna and trustee, the hub of student life at Miami Law is getting a new name: “The Bass Bricks.”

“It was important to me to give back to this institution that played such a crucial role in my development as an attorney and shaping the person I am today,” said Bass, co-president of the international law firm Greenberg Traurig and a member of the School of Law’s Visiting Committee and Momentum2 Campaign Committee. “I chose the Bricks because it’s the center of campus life at the School of Law, and I have fond memories of the time I spent there. I hope that future students who gather there will leave inspired to fulfill their own dreams and go on to great success within the legal community.”

Bass’s contribution, which is part of UM’s Momentum2: The Breakthrough Campaign for the University of Miami, will also honor the value of practical experience and the training that one can receive as a student at Miami Law.

“The law school taught me to solve people’s problems,” she said. “Being a good lawyer is more than just being able to write a great 20-page memo. While detailed legal analysis is the foundation on which everything else is based, clients want a straightforward, two-sentence answer about how you can solve their problems. I have to credit Miami Law with teaching me those important skills.”

Bass is a passionate supporter of the University of Miami. In addition to gifts to the School of Law, her generous contributions have included support for the School of Education and Human Development, the College of Arts and Sciences, and UM Athletics.

“Hilarie Bass’s contributions to this law school community are deep and varied,” said UM School of Law Dean Patricia D. White. “She is a source of wisdom and innovative ideas, she mentors students and makes connections for them and for the institution, she is a wonderfully articulate and committed advocate for the school, and she is unfailingly generous with her time. She is a wonderful role model for lawyers everywhere and it is appropriate that the central gathering space at the school will become ‘The Bass Bricks.’ ”

A ceremony will be held in the fall to officially dedicate “The Bass Bricks” in her honor and to recognize her philanthropy.