Endowed Chairs and Professorships

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  • George E Allen Chair in Law
    The George E. Allen Chair in Law was established to honor and continue the legacy of excellence established by Mr. Allen. Founding partner of the Richmond-based law firm of Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen, Mr. Allen was the first recipient of the American College of Trial Lawyers’ Award for Courageous Advocacy in 1965. The law school’s first endowed chair, it was established in 1976 by Mr. Allen’s sons, the late George E. Allen Jr., L’36; Ashby B. Allen, R’43; and Wilbur Allen. Many other members of the Allen family and in the Allen law firm have contributed to the Allen Chair.
  • Dennis I. Belcher Professor of Law

    The Dennis I. Belcher Professorship was established to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Belcher. A 1976 graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law, Mr. Belcher was a partner at McGuireWoods who practiced in the field of trusts and estates. Nationally recognized in his field, Mr. Belcher’s leadership included serving as president of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and as chairman of the American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property, Trust, and Estate Law. The Professorship was established in 2017 through a generous gift from his friends, family, and colleagues.

  • Nancy Litchfield Hicks Professor of Law

    Current Holder: Professor Jessica Erickson

    The Nancy Litchfield Hicks Professorship was established to honor the life and legacy of Ms. Hicks. A 1985 graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law, Hicks was a first -generation law student who served on the University of Richmond Law Review as a student. Following her passing in 2020, her husband, Hal, and the couple’s three sons — Josh, Billy, and Matt, ‘15 — established the Nancy Litchfield Hicks (L’85) Memorial Scholarship. Two years later, inspired by the strength his wife displayed throughout a difficult illness, Mr. Hicks established the Nancy Litchfield Hicks Professorship, the first to bear a woman’s name, to further honor her and other “strong women” in his life.

  • S. D. Roberts and Sandra Moore Professor of Law

    Current Holder: Professor Corinna Barrett Lain

    The S. D. Roberts and Sandra Moore Professorship was established in 2017 by S. D. Roberts Moore, L’61, and his wife, Sandra. Mr. Moore is a retired senior litigation partner with Gentry Locke. He has served as a member of the University of Richmond Board of Trustees (1986-1990 and 2013-2017), a leader of the University of Richmond Law School Alumni Association, and a member of the Richmond Law Advisory Board. In 1991 he received the University’s Alumni Award for Distinguished Service. Among the many accolades throughout his 50-year distinguished career as a trial lawyer, he received the Roanoke Bar Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, is a member of the Virginia Lawyers’ Weekly Hall of Fame, and has been a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.

  • E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Chair in Law

    Current Holder: Professor Kurt Lash

    The E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Chair in Law was established to honor the memory of Mr. Robins. A 1931 graduate of the University of Richmond, Mr. Robins built his grandfather’s small apothecary shop into the A.H. Robins Company, a multinational corporation engaged primarily in the manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and consumer products. Since 1969, Mr. Robins and his family have been the University’s greatest benefactors. Mr. Robins served on the University Board of Trustees and in 1986 was awarded the University’s first Paragon Medal, its highest honor.

  • Sesquicentennial Professor of Law
    Current Holder: Professor James Gibson

    The Sesquicentennial Professorship in Law was established in 2019 in honor of the University of Richmond School of Law’s 150th anniversary.
  • Williams Chair in Law

    Current Holder: Professor Carl W. Tobias

    The Williams Chair in Law was established in 1999 by Russell C. Williams, a 1984 graduate of the law school, to enable the school to build "an exceptionally strong faculty.” At the time it was received, Mr. Williams’ gift was the largest ever given to the law school by a living donor. Mr. Williams had a private practice in Richmond, VA during the late 1980s and early 90s, was an adjunct professor at the law school from 1988-91, and worked in the Virginia Attorney General’s office from 1984-88. After retiring from law, Williams’ career pivoted to focus on his lifelong love of horses. He currently serves as president of the US Trotting Association, president & CEO of Hanover Shoe Farms, and chairperson of the board of Standardbred Horse Sales Co.