Emergency Funds Help Students Weather the Unexpected

Law school is demanding enough with exams, long hours, and tight finances. But when an unexpected emergency hits—a car breakdown, a medical bill, or even the need for professional clothing—it can push students to a breaking point. 

Beverly Ledbetter '72 wants to ease the burden of financial emergencies for law students. In 2016, she created the Law Student Emergency Fund to support students who demonstrate a financial need relating to their legal education or their preparation to transition to the legal profession following law school. She’s contributed to the fund ever since and now seeks to endow the fund to support law students for decades to come.

“I lacked and still lack the financial means to substantially support scholarships, but I could help out with short-term emergencies,” said Ledbetter, who retired in 2018 after 40 years as Brown University’s legal counsel. “Students might need to get home for a family emergency, come up short with their auto insurance, or need a one-time essential purchase—just instances where a small amount might help them get over the hump. I also wanted no pressure to pay back, although you always hope the thought might occur on its own.”

During the 2024-25 school year, the Emergency Needs Fund supported five law students (everyone who requested emergency funding) with a total of $4,850 for unexpected expenses like medical expenses, a replacement laptop, and car repairs for students to get to and from their internships.

“I'm at a loss to describe the relief and gratitude I feel,” one student recipient said. “I am looking forward to getting these [car] repairs so I can complete my summer internship. Thank you to all who made this possible!”

Ledbetter strongly believes students should develop a habit of giving back to their communities early in their lives through volunteer experiences that are not for credit or motivated by external influences—values instilled in her from a young age by her parents, who were both middle school teachers. In addition to her support of the Law Student Emergency Needs Fund, Ledbetter intends to support a fund at CU’s Service Learning & Impact in Community Engagement Program that provides stipends for students doing volunteer service-learning work both in and out of state. 

"My passion is service to the community. I want people to feel privileged to be lawyers. Giving back to the community is my guiding principle,” she said.

Ledbetter hopes the fund will not only provide much-needed support to students facing financial emergencies but also instill in them the spirit of philanthropy. 

“I like the idea of helping students when they really need it,” Ledbetter said. “Through this, we are also teaching them to do the same when they are able.”

Though the grants from the Law Student Emergency Fund may be modest, Ledbetter believes they can have a significant impact.

“These grants may only impact one of law school’s challenges,” she said. “But even a little help can make a difference down the road. I’m drawn to the small things we can do today to ease someone’s burden. If we have the chance to reduce that stress, why wouldn’t we?”
 

To learn more about the Law Student Emergency Needs Fund, please contact Robert Garelick, assistant dean for advancement, at robert.garelick@colorado.edu or 303-735-5845 or Jeremy Jones, director of development, at jeremy.jones-1@colorado.edu or 303-735-8463.