Boston University School of Law Dedicates Samuel M. Fineman Library

Alumnus makes $5 million gift for library to honor former law school dean, William Schwartz.

Boston University School of Law dedicated the Samuel M. Fineman Law Library on Friday, September 25 during a ceremony that kicked off Reunion & Alumni Weekend.

This new library was made possible by a $5 million gift from Samuel Fineman, who earned a JD degree in 1972 and an LLM degree in 1987 from BU Law. Today, he serves as principal for Fineman Investment Partners, Ltd. and president of The Home Makers Company, Inc. He made the gift in honor of William Schwartz, who served as dean of the law school from 1980 to 1988, and his wife Bernice Schwartz.

“We are honored that Sam Fineman has made this generous gift to the law school,” says Dean Maureen A. O’Rourke. “Our law students benefit immensely from being able to study and conduct legal research in this beautiful new library.”

The 21,000-square-foot facility features a new library entrance and dedicated research and study space in seven group study rooms, three reading rooms, two state-of-the-art training labs, and collaborative work areas. Located alongside the Pappas Law Library, the Fineman Law Library houses the law school archives, the circulation and reference desks, a reserve collection, printing and scanning centers, library stacks, and staff offices.

Fineman, who met William Schwartz when he was a first-year law student, has maintained a lifelong friendship with the former BU Law dean and his wife. A photograph of William and Bernice Schwartz, and Samuel Fineman and his fiancé Nyla Carleton will hang in the new library.

As part of The Campaign For Boston University: Choose to Be Great, BU Law has raised more than $60 million since 2012 to fund five important law school priorities: building construction and renovation, professorships and faculty support, scholarships and financial aid, academic programming, and the BU Law Annual Fund.