Miriam T. Rooney Society

The Seton Hall University School of Law Legacy Society is named in honor of the Law School's first Dean, Miriam T. Rooney. Rooney was an American Catholic original. While working as a librarian at the U.S. State Department, Rooney went to school at night, earning a B.A. from Catholic University in 1930, an M.A. in 1932 and Ph.D. in philosophy in 1937. Her Ph.D. dissertation was a Thomistic natural law critique of the legal philosophies of Bentham, Maine and Holmes. She entered George Washington Law School in 1938, received her LL.B. in 1942, and became a lawyer at the State Department serving as assistant to the legal advisor.

While at the State Department, Rooney also taught as an adjunct at Catholic University's Columbus Law School. In 1948, she formally joined the faculty at Columbus Law School as professor and head law librarian. Two and half years later, she headed her own law school – the newly established Seton Hall University School of Law.

Dean Rooney employed her considerable talents over the next decade to advance her vision of a Catholic law school and obtain accreditation for Seton Hall Law in very short order. Seton Hall Law was fully accredited by the American Bar Association in 1955 and was admitted to membership in the Association of American Law Schools in 1960. Among her many notable accomplishments, Dean Rooney was also a Fulbright Fellow and advisor to the Vatican Delegation to the United Nations. She died March 23, 1981. Given the visionary leadership and lasting impact Dean Rooney had on the Law School, we recognize all donors who have included Seton Hall Law in their estate plans with recognition into a Legacy Society named in Dean Rooney's honor.

To be recognized as a member of the Miriam T. Rooney Society, donors should advise the Law School of their intentions to incorporate Seton Hall Law in their estate plans through one or more of the following gift vehicles:

• Bequests through your Will or Living Trust
• Charitable Remainder Trust
• Charitable Lead Trust
• Life Insurance policy
• Retirement Assets
• Charitable Gift Annuity
• Real Estate or Retained Life Estate

As a member of the Miriam T. Rooney Society, donors are entitled to invitations to special events, programs and included in our Honor Roll.

If you would like more information regarding how to plan a gift, please contact:

Stephanie Silvestri
Asst. Dean of Alumni & Development
973-642-8818
stephanie.silvestri@shu.edu