In the early 1990s, the Law School was confronted with a changing fiscal landscape. Funding from the State of Michigan was declining, leaving two choices: increase tuition or find another source of funds. Tuition was already high, and student debt was increasing, so the school turned its attention to increasing financial support from alumni.
The Law School had an annual fund, but the percentage of alumni contributing to it was declining—especially for recent alumni. John Nannes, ’73, had an idea: If graduating students could see for themselves how gifts from alumni had enhanced their Law School experience, they might be more inclined to contribute to the Law School after graduation.
The Nannes 3L Challenge launched in 1995. Students who take the Challenge can designate $250, contributed by Nannes, to any student activity they choose—thus giving 3Ls a taste of how alumni contribute to their time in the Law Quad. In exchange, students commit to making a gift to the Law School Fund in each of the first four years after their graduation. The Challenge does not require a minimum contribution but encourages participants to be as generous as their circumstances permit.
Has the Nannes 3L Challenge been successful? Hundreds of 3Ls take it each year, and most contribute back to the Law School in the years immediately following graduation. But the real test, Nannes says, is what happens thereafter. “Each generation of law students has benefited from the generosity of alumni who came before them. My hope is that students who take the Challenge will want to continue that tradition and become long-term supporters of the Law School. If that proves to be true, the answer will certainly be yes.”
A Meaningful Impact
5,000+
total student Challenge participants
63
student organizations received funds from the 2025 Challenge
$3.9M+
total gifts to the Law School Fund by Challenge participants after graduation
John Nannes, ’73I continue to be proud of what we’ve created. When I see students making connections across affinity groups through their involvement in the Challenge, it reminds me how valuable a strong sense of community is—now and for the future.
“As a law student, I was inspired by John Nannes’s example and generosity. His idea of making a donation for each 3L who commits to give in their first four years after graduation—when money, time, and attention are often in short supply—is genius. It set me and many others on a path to long-term, consistent giving from the beginning of our relationship with the Law School as alumni. My continued involvement is a testament to the power and lasting impact of the Nannes 3L Challenge.”
—Neal Reenan, ’03, a donor who began giving to Michigan Law through the Nannes 3L Challenge
“When I learned the Nannes 3L Challenge was about supporting my classmates now and strengthening Michigan Law’s community for the future, I was eager to help. My class has witnessed a lot of change in the legal landscape just in our time as students, which I think is why the challenge was especially meaningful to me and my peers. We understand that a strong sense of community is important, and the challenge was an opportunity to invest in that.”
—Arian Rubio, ’25, Nannes 3L Challenge student committee co-chair
“There is something special about being a 3L and having one last opportunity to be involved on campus and serve on a committee that involves all student organizations. The Challenge stands out as an opportunity for students to provide direct support to the organizations that mean the most to them. Every part of serving on the committee was a joy.”
—Drew Harper, ’25, Nannes 3L Challenge student committee co-chair
