The Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center is honored to receive a $10,000 People and Places Grant from the Sobrato Foundation and a matching donation from Dr. Alan Russell. The Foundation’s challenge grant was designed with a leverage component to it, which the KGACLC successfully achieved by securing Dr. Russell’s generous $10,000 gift.
Three generations of the Sobrato family created the Foundation in 1996 based on their desire to share their success throughout Silicon Valley where their family development business has thrived for the last 45 years. The Foundation( http://www.sobrato.com/foundation/) is dedicated to helping create and sustain a vibrant and healthy community where all Silicon Valley residents have equal opportunity to live, work and be enriched. To accomplish its purpose, the Foundation invests in strong community-based organizations that promote self-reliance and economic independence, and positively contribute to the quality of life for economically, physically and emotionally challenged individuals.
Dr. Alan Russell is a J.D. and M.B.A. graduate from SCU. He received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of New South Wales, Australia. He is currently the Vice-President of Regulatory and Clinical Affairs at VISX Inc., a fully-owned subsidiary of Advanced Medical Optics. Dr. Russell has provided the Law Center with assistance in a number of areas in the last four years, including fund-raising. His unwavering support has enabled the Law Center to confidently approach additional funding sources. Dr. Russell has agreed to co-chair the KGACLC Leadership Council, a newly-formed group of high visibility individuals who will assist in raising funds for the Law Center.
Both the Foundation’s and Dr. Russell’s contributions demonstrate the confidence they have in the Law Center’s work. Grants such as these recognize the benefit the community receives and encourage others to support that work through organizational and/or individual contributions.
The Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center is the civil clinical program of Santa Clara University School of Law. It strives to educate law students in accordance with the highest professional and ethical standards by serving individuals and communities in need with competence, conscience and compassion, through pro bono legal representation and education. In 2004, the Law Center gave legal advice and counsel to over 900 low-income clients and gave community workshop presentations to more than 1,500 individuals.
