photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Green Hall, with Allen Fieldhouse in the background, is pictured on April 14, 2023.

A Kansas City, Mo.-based law firm has made a $1 million gift to the University of Kansas law school to fund student scholarships.

KU leaders announced Tuesday that Wagstaff & Cartmell made the $1 million gift to enhance the existing Wagstaff & Cartmell Scholarship Fund. The additional funding will be used to provide scholarships to students who meet certain academic standards and show leadership potential and a commitment to advancing the practice of law, KU said in a release. A portion of the scholarships also will be based on financial need.

The Kansas City firm has strong ties to the KU law school with partner Tom Cartmell a graduate of the school, as are multiple other attorneys in the firm.

“I know the school has an excellent tradition of preparing its graduates for meaningful careers, and we are excited to help expand that vision,” Cartmell said in the release.

The donation comes as the law school is considering a move to a new location on the Lawrence campus, and other options for expansion and new facilities. KU School of Law Dean Stephen Mazza alluded to those larger plans on Tuesday.

“This scholarship will open doors for generations of Jayhawk lawyers to get their degree and kicks off a bigger picture fundraising effort for new opportunities,” Mazza said in the release.