The Soshnick Colloquium on Law and Economics

Andrew Z. and Brenda K. Soshnick made a gift of $500,000 to Northwestern University School of Law in support of the advanced study of law and economics and the interrelationships between those disciplines.

The gift establishes the Soshnick Colloquium on Law and Economics, an advanced seminar that will bring together visiting scholars, resident faculty, and Law School students for discussion of leading research in the fields of law and economics. Colloquia are highly collaborative classes designed to help students understand the complex interactions they will face in a practice setting.

Drew Soshnick (JD ’88) graduated cum laude and Order of the Coif from Northwestern Law. He also earned his B.A. and an M.A. from Northwestern University.

“Having three degrees from Northwestern, I feel a great deal of allegiance to the university,” Soshnick said. “Northwestern provided me with a world-class education and provided our family with opportunities that most people can only dream of. It is a privilege to be able to pay it forward.”

A partner in the Indianapolis office of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, Soshnick’s practice focuses on family law, with a particular focus on sophisticated financial issues such as valuing and dividing complex marital assets, assessing executive compensation, tax analysis and planning, tracing of assets, and drafting premarital agreements. He is past chair of both the Indiana State Bar Association Family and Juvenile Law Section and the Indianapolis Bar Association Family Law Section, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He also serves as a member of the Family Law Independent Certification Organization Board for Indiana lawyers.

Soshnick said he has always been interested in economics—it was one of his undergraduate majors—and thinks economics is an essential part of a “holistic legal education” for lawyers in all areas of practice. He believes Northwestern Law excels at blending the disciplines of law and economics, and preparing law students to be practitioners. He was also impressed with the caliber of previous speakers in the series.

“It all fit: what we wanted to do, my personal interests, the Law School’s needs, and a top-flight opportunity to make a meaningful gift,” he said. “Brenda and I are delighted to be able to perpetuate the colloquium so that generations of students can benefit from the wonderful opportunities.”

The series will create opportunities to address not just finance and business, but the breadth of the economic analysis of the law, on topics ranging from corporate law, torts and contracts, trusts and estates, criminal law, family law, domestic partner abuse, and takings. —Kirston Fortune

April, 2015