Creating A Georgetown Legacy
georgetown university | fall 2024
giving.georgetown.edu/planned-giving
Linda Schakel (L’86): Making an Impact in More Than One Way
In 1986, Linda Schakel became one of a handful of women graduating from Georgetown University Law Center. In a highly competitive, male-dominated field, Schakel wondered about opportunities in her new career.
A former teacher for gifted elementary school students, Schakel decided to switch career paths and pursue her dream of practicing law. During that time, she recalls that it was almost unheard of to see a middle-aged, second-career female join a law firm, but deeply believed that Georgetown Law and its unique Jesuit values would help her accomplish her dream.
“When I graduated from college in 1970, not that many women went to law school,” says Schakel, who earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and later a Ph.D. in education with a concentration in gifted education. “I was 35 when I decided to go to law school. I looked at different universities and I liked that Georgetown was very accepting of second-career students.”
“When I got my first law firm job, I think I was the first 40-year-old associate that they had ever hired.”
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As we begin another academic year, I would like to share my deepest gratitude for your continued support of Georgetown. Your commitment ensures we are able to continue providing the distinctive Georgetown experience shaped by centuries of Jesuit education and embracing the changing times while staying true to our core values: engaging intellect, helping students grow spiritually, exchanging ideas freely, and building a more just world.
The spirit of Georgetown is alive and well as we enter our 235th year on the Hilltop and grow the new Capitol Campus. Building on the foundation of the Georgetown Law footprint, our downtown expansion has helped create space for new academic programs, new Georgetown students, and new avenues for impact.
It is certainly an exciting time for our Georgetown community, and once again, I thank you for your part in helping Georgetown meet today’s challenges, offer immersive learning experiences, and make connections across programs and beyond our walls. With your help, we continue to empower students, foster innovation, and make a meaningful impact on our shared society.
With gratitude,
Mindy Siebenaler Bopp, J.D., LL.M (L’20) Executive Director of Planned Giving & Senior Philanthropic Advisor 202-687-6778
mls300@georgetown.edu
Linda Schakel (L’86)—(continued from page 1)
Making
a difference in DC
Now a retired partner at Ballard Spahr LLP, Schakel specialized in tax policy and tax-exempt financing for many years.
She also served as an attorney advisor in the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Tax Policy, where she was responsible for tax legislative and regulatory projects in the areas of tax-exempt bonds, low income housing, empowerment zones and enterprise communities, work-opportunity, and welfare-to-work.
“I can drive around DC and see all of these public good projects that I would not have been able to participate in if I had not gone to Georgetown,” says Schakel.
“Georgetown opened many doors for me. My professor for Constitutional Law was Fr. Robert F. Drinan, a Jesuit priest and former U.S. House of Representative for Massachusetts,” recalls Schakel. “He served on the Judiciary Committee when they impeached Nixon and shared a lot of insight on one of the first major impeachments of that time. It was a terrific opportunity.”
Supporting today’s students
Schakel and her late partner, Michael Hodge (L’90), both transitioned from education to law. She made the decision more than 30 years ago to support scholarships at Georgetown Law, including through the law firm challenge.
Recently, Schakel created the Michael Vincent Hodge Endowed Opportunity Scholarship Fund with a blended gift that includes a bequest in her will and an outright gift that allowed the scholarship to be awarded during her lifetime so she can see the impact her gift is making in the lives of students.
The Opportunity Scholarship Program provides the most highly qualified candidates access to a Georgetown legal education and ensures that financial resources are never a barrier to their decision to enroll at Georgetown Law.
“Law school is expensive,” says Schakel. “Giving funds through my estate demonstrates my commitment to supporting students who need economic assistance for a variety of reasons. Students should be able to take advantage of the full law experience and spend more time learning about law, rather than picking up extra jobs.”
“I’ve been blessed with great experiences in my career,” she continues. “I tell law students to take advantage of as many opportunities as they can. Every interaction you have will further your legal education more than perhaps you realize at that moment.”
Creating Your Legacy at Georgetown
Georgetown’s estate planning guide is a helpful resource that includes an outline of the key elements of an estate plan and simple steps to get started with the planning process. Please scan the QR code, return the response card, contact the Office of Planned Giving at 800-347-8067 or plannedgiving@georgetown.edu , or visit giving. georgetown.edu/how-to-give/planned-giving for your complimentary copy.
Scan the QR Code here or go to g.town/create-your-legacy to request your free copy.
Dates to Remember
October 25–27, 2024
Georgetown Law Reunion
November 1–3, 2024
Georgetown Medical Center Reunion
April 3–6, 2025
John Carroll Weekend Philadelphia
May 30–June 1, 2025
Class of 1975’s 50th Reunion, and undergraduate reunions for Magis, 1965, 1970, 1980, et al.
