On Dec. 16, prominent Milwaukee businessman and philanthropist Sheldon Lubar donated $2 million to Marquette’s Law School to create the Sheldon B. Lubar Fund for Public Policy. The Law School is the latest recipient of donations from Lubar & Co., which aims to develop Milwaukee’s corporate climate through business investments.

The purpose of this donation is to support public policy research and initiatives at the Law School, said Joseph Kearney, dean of the Law School. Programs that will be funded include providing support for conferences and symposia at the Law School and supporting faculty research, curriculum development and the teaching of public policy issues.

Kearney said he hopes the donation will further establish the Law School’s positive influence in the Milwaukee area.

“Mr. Lubar’s gift represents extraordinary confidence in the Law School’s evolving role in this region,” he said. “My hope is that the Lubar Fund will enable us to expand our public policy initiative and, in particular, to integrate it further with the Law School’s research mission.”

David Baur, chief financial officer at Lubar & Co., said Lubar’s donation speaks to the prominent status of Marquette’s new Law School, Eckstein Hall, in Wisconsin.

“The Lubar family has been investing in private businesses successfully for over 40 years, and giving back to the Milwaukee community has been a very important component of their core philosophy for quite some time as well,” Baur said.

Lubar & Co. predominantly invests in private businesses, but this donation demonstrates recognition of the Law School’s public policy work. Kearney said this was initiated by the appointment of Mike Gousha as a distinguished fellow of law and public policy. Gousha hosts the “On the Issues with Mike Gousha” series at the Law School, which centers on interviews with local and national public officials.

“Because Marquette University is one of the leading law schools in the state of Wisconsin, it was (a) very good fit for a public policy initiative,” Baur said.

Kearney believes the school is only scratching the surface. “I look forward to our effort to mine this field for the betterment of the community, and am grateful to Shel Lubar for his support and confidence,” Kearney said.