October 30, 2025
$7.1 million commitment from Hawaii businessman and philanthropist expands Tech and IP programs in the UW School of Law
The University of Washington School of Law has received a $7.1 million commitment from Honolulu-based real estate investor Jay H. Shidler to augment the technology and intellectual property programs at the UW School of Law.
The gift, which will be realized over the next 10 years, cements the School of Law’s global reputation in the fields of technology and intellectual property (IP) law.
“Our students and faculty are enriched by the generosity of Jay Shidler and his commitment to supporting innovations in the area of technology and intellectual property law,” said Tamara F. Lawson, the Toni Rembe Dean of the School of Law. “UW Law is uniquely situated in a region known throughout the world for technology and innovation. These resources will support our community and keep us competitive in this environment.”
With this gift, Shidler — a philanthropist and investor in educational infrastructure who has owned interests in more than 2,000 properties worldwide — continues a tradition he’s established of honoring his uncle, Roger Shidler, a 1924 graduate of the UW School of Law who was an early trailblazer in technology law alongside William Gates, Sr.
The gift will allow the School of Law to:
- Establish a Shidler Endowed Chair who will lead the Technology and Intellectual Property Law programs, while also covering adjacent needs including torts and contracts.
- Recruit a full-time scholar-in-residence to manage and grow the existing Shidler Lecture Series.
- Support scholarships and fellowships awarded to students focused on Technology and Intellectual Property Law. The first year will support three students in the J.D. program with a $50,000 award for each.
“We are honored to steward Jay Shidler’s transformative investment in the critical intersection of technology and law,” said UW President Robert J. Jones. “His generous gift will help the UW School of Law attract the most talented faculty and students at a moment when expertise in IP and Technology law is urgently needed. We are thrilled to be able to expand our global reach in this important field.”
“I am very fortunate to be able to financially support universities and colleges on the West Coast and in Hawaii. UW Law has had a special place in my family’s lore for almost 100 years,” Shidler said.
The gift builds upon previous gifts from Jay Shidler to the UW, including an ownership interest in a 2.6-acre property in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood, which was celebrated in 2018. Half of the ownership of the land and buildings will be transferred to the UW in 2115 to be divided equally between UW Medicine and the UW School of Law. The other half goes to Shidler’s alma mater, now called the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Shidler also contributed $600,000 to the School of Law in 2016 for the creation of the lecture series honoring Roger Shidler.
The UW recognized Jay Shidler and his wife, Wallette, as Presidential Laureates upon having generously contributed more than $10 million to the UW in 2017.
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Tag(s): Robert J. Jones • School of Law