The Lafferty Society was established in 1977 to encourage giving to the College by its most supportive graduates and friends. It brings together individuals who share a desire to provide enduring and generous support and services for the College. Lafferty Society Fellows, most but not all of whom are graduates of the Rosenberg College of Law, assume a special role in the College community.
To qualify for membership in the Lafferty Society, one can make an outright gift or pledge commitment to the University of $25,000 or more, of which at least $12,500 must be designated for the College of Law. This commitment may be fulfilled in a variety of ways, including through the contribution of cash, securities or personal property (with an accepted appraised value of $25,000 or more). A Lafferty Society pledge may be paid over a ten-year period. Additionally, one may also qualify for Lafferty Society membership by signifying a bequest or other form of estate/planned gift of $25,000 or more, of which at least $12,500 must be designated for the College of Law.
The qualifying gift to the College may be unrestricted, or it may be designated for a special use within the College agreed to by the donor and the College.
The Lafferty Society is named in honor of Judge William T. Lafferty, a native of Cynthiana, Kentucky. Judge Lafferty was a graduate of State College, the predecessor of the University of Kentucky. He was a practitioner, judge, legislator, and was the moving force behind the creation of the University and the founding of the College of Law. Judge Lafferty served as the first Dean of the College of Law, from the founding of the law school in 1908 until his death in 1922.
Today the Lafferty Society not only serves as a memorial to Judge Lafferty’s devotion to the pursuit of excellence in legal education, but it also exists to advance his ambitions for the University and the Rosenberg College of Law.
