Morgan Kashinsky ’24 (front row, third from left), shown here with Professor of Clinical Law Jonathan Askin (front, fourth from left), helped lead efforts of the Brooklyn Law School chapter of Legal Hackers to raise money for Giving Day.

Morgan Kashinsky ’24 has wanted to be a lawyer since age 16, and she wasted no time in building a résumé, with legal jobs in high school and college, followed by a post-graduate job as an executive assistant at Sullivan & Cromwell, just before starting at Brooklyn Law.

So, when Kashinsky first noticed Board of Trustees Chairman Frank Aquila ’83 offering a matching gift challenge to Giving Day, it caught her attention and prompted her to make a donation. Aquila, a partner and M&A attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell, had kindly agreed to share advice about Brooklyn Law School over coffee before she started school.

Among the many helpful suggestions she took from him was attending Business Boot Camp, where students take a four-day crash course in business and finance, featuring instruction and advice from alumni, faculty, and Board of Trustees members, including Aquila.

“When I saw Frank Aquila’s Giving Day challenge, I knew he was someone who really cares about the success of the students and our school, and I appreciate the time and dedication he provides,” Kashinsky said. “I was inspired to give because I knew unlocking the Giving Day donor challenge would be helpful to students and the community overall.”

Taking up the charge from Aquila in the fall, Debra Humphreys ’84 and an anonymous donor provided spring Giving Day challenges to encourage donor participation. As an additional incentive and in response to the students’ record-breaking participation, Professor Michael Gerber spontaneously offered to throw a reception for students who donated $20 or more.

Kashinsky, president of the school’s chapter of Legal Hackers, was one of two dozen student ambassadors for spring Giving Day, and Legal Hackers raised $3,500, thanks to alumni participation and unlocking more than $1,000 in bonus money. The group’s programming can now expand to include an alumni dinner and a “hackathon” next school year.

“When most law school students have an hour, they want to sleep,” Kashinsky said, adding that she quickly realized the return on investment of fundraising. “This allows us to bring back alumni events and build that network between new students and 2Ls, 3Ls graduating into the field, and alumni, who we invite to come back and be involved with the Law School.”