An anonymous donor is giving the UGA School of Law a million gift dedicated to the memory of a slain victim of domestic violence. The funds will support the school’s Family Justice Clinic and create a Distinguished Law Fellowship; both named in honor of the victim, Jane W. Wilson.
Wilson, a resident of rural Northern Georgia in her early 30s, was shot and killed by her second husband of just three days during August 1976. Her two young children, aged 10 and 8, witnessed the homicide.
By making this gift to the law school, the donor hopes to help “others similarly situated – in particular, victims and families who often find neither help nor hope.”
The law school’s Family Justice Clinic – which opened in 1998 under the name Family Violence Clinic – provides survivors of domestic violence in Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties with direct representation as well as legal and extra-legal support free of charge.
The facility will now operate under the name Jane W. Wilson Family Justice Clinic and employ a post-graduate fellow to assist the clinic’s director.
The Jane W. Wilson Distinguished Law Fellowship, a full-tuition-plus scholarship, will be awarded to an academically accomplished student with an interest in serving victims of domestic violence and other family justice issues.