Alice Richey ’86 has a confession to make.
“Like many others, I long presumed that [UNC School of Law] was mostly funded by the State of North Carolina,” the 1986 Carolina Law graduate admits. “I was wrong.”
The reality is that while state funding remains vital, it doesn’t constitute the majority of the School’s budget. Alumni support fills that gap. Over the past decade, the Cornerstone Club has raised more than $17 million and growing, enabling the School to admit talented students regardless of their ability to pay, hire exceptional faculty, and provide the kind of legal education that produces lawyers who solve real problems in their communities.
Richey and her husband, Dave Pitser, first joined the Cornerstone Club when a close friend asked them to increase their support. For the first few years, they gave the requested amount but did not participate in any activities. Then they attended their first Cornerstone weekend.
“After our first Cornerstone weekend, we were determined not to miss another one,” said Richey.
Richey already had strong family ties to the School. Her late father received his Carolina Law degree in 1959, she earned hers in 1986, and her brother earned his in 1993. She had beloved professors during her student years, such as Bill Aycock ’48, Elizabeth Gibson ’76, and John Orth, and important friendships with many former classmates.
But active membership in the Cornerstone Club did something she had not anticipated. “It deepened my existing ties and gave me a connection to the School that was unexpected so many years after graduating,” said Richey. “What has been especially rewarding is building rich relationships with lawyers from all generations whom I would not otherwise have known.”
In November 2025, the Cornerstone Club gathered in Blowing Rock for a weekend that illustrated exactly what Richey means. Members reconnected at the mountain home of Bonnie Weyher ’77 and Dan McLamb ’74. They explored Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on Western North Carolina through conversations with Jay Leutze ’90, Dr. Kathie Dello from the Department of Environmental Quality, and Mary Katherine Stukes ’07. Students shared stories from pro bono work in affected communities. Over meals and between sessions, lawyers who graduated decades apart learned together and shared stories and insights.
Scott Vaughn ’86, who, with his wife LouAnn, has co-chaired the Cornerstone Club for five years, has watched the community grow. “It started as a very small group, but we now have approximately 80 households who have rekindled old friendships and begun new ones,” said Scott Vaughn.
The growth shows more than numbers. Interim Dean Andy Hessick described the transformation Cornerstone support has enabled. Thirty students from rural Piedmont counties now attend Carolina Law each year with competitive scholarships. Twenty first-year students traveled to New York this fall for mentorship from alumni. The Supreme Court clinic has students writing briefs that have shaped federal law. Students logged more than 5,500 hours of pro bono work last academic year, earning Carolina Law recognition as the only law school in the nation named a Pro Bono Leader by the American Bar Association, and firms that once bypassed Carolina Law now actively recruit its students.
“You all are part of the foundation of Carolina Law,” Hessick told the group. “Your commitment has remade Carolina Law over the past decade.”
“Our School is so much stronger now than it has been in many years,” reflected Scott Vaughn. “The Cornerstone Club has played a part in that, allowing the School’s leadership to access resources which bring in the best faculty and strongest students that Carolina Law has ever seen.”
Saturday evening brought a moment that captured the spirit the Vaughns have cultivated. Following dinner, members surprised Martin Brinkley ’92, dean emeritus, with a tribute honoring his years of leadership. One by one, speakers stood to share what his dedication had meant to them and to the School.
Louise Harris, associate dean for advancement, says that’s exactly the type of special community the Vaughn’s leadership has created. “Scott and LouAnn Vaughn’s leadership has been critical to our success. They transformed this group into a dynamic, deeply engaged community and set an inspiring standard for what it means to lead with heart, vision, and commitment.”
As the weekend concluded, the Vaughns challenged each member to bring one additional Carolina Law alumni into the Cornerstone Club over the coming year. “We realize it is a financial commitment, but we want as many people as possible to enjoy the camaraderie and insights into the School that have meant so much to all of us,” said Scott Vaughn.
Richey and Pitser are now stepping forward as new co-chairs. Richey’s own journey from passive donor to engaged leader shapes how she thinks about inviting others. “Joining the Cornerstone Club is about paying it back — I got a first-rate legal education that was affordable. But it is also about reconnecting to an institution I have always been proud of, helping preserve its vital mission, and developing rich relationships with other alumni, faculty, staff, and students.”
The Cornerstone Club will gather November 6-8, 2026 in Charleston, South Carolina, with Richey and Pitser there to welcome new members into a community working to keep Carolina Law truly great and truly public.
Cornerstone Club membership requires an annual commitment of $10,000 or more. For recent graduates one to 10 years out, Step into Cornerstone offers a graduated path to full membership. Alumni interested in learning more can contact Louise Harris at louise.harris@unc.edu.
