Naples Couple Donates $30 Million to DePaul University, Renaming Its Chicago Law School

Robert and Joan Clifford just made a gift large enough to rename an entire law school. But their connection to philanthropy runs much deeper—and includes some of Naples' best-known charitable institutions.

Naples is home to some extraordinary philanthropists. But a $30 million donation that puts your name on a major university's law school?

That gets attention well beyond Southwest Florida.

On October 26, DePaul University in Chicago announced a landmark gift from Robert and Joan Clifford, longtime university supporters with deep ties to Naples.

The donation will transform the university's College of Law, which will now carry a new name:

The Robert A. Clifford College of Law.

It's an extraordinary contribution from a couple whose generosity extends from Chicago courtrooms and university classrooms to the gardens, theaters, and children's charities of Naples.

And there's an interesting story behind how it came together.

Robert Clifford is a nationally prominent trial attorney and founder of Clifford Law Offices, a Chicago-based firm specializing in personal injury, wrongful death, and catastrophic injury litigation.

His legal career has included major aviation disasters, transportation accidents, and complex civil cases.

But his relationship with DePaul goes back more than five decades.

Clifford graduated from DePaul with a business degree in 1973 and earned his law degree in 1976. He is celebrating his 50th law-school reunion this year.

Joan Clifford is also a DePaul graduate, earning her education degree in 1972.

The couple's relationship with the university spans their professional lives, and Robert has served as a DePaul Life Trustee.

Their latest donation marks a significant expansion of that longstanding commitment.

According to DePaul's announcement, the gift reflects the couple's belief that legal education should combine academic excellence with public service, integrity, and practical preparation.

But this isn't their first major investment in the university.

The donation isn't simply paying for a name on a building.

DePaul says the money will support a broad range of programs intended to improve legal education, expand scholarship opportunities, and strengthen faculty research.

Three initiatives stand out.

The Robert A. Clifford Trial Advocacy, Litigation, and Negotiation Center will focus on giving future attorneys practical experience before they enter the profession.

Students will have opportunities to participate in mock trials, negotiation competitions, and other skills-based legal training.

The center will also connect students with alumni and practicing attorneys who can offer mentorship and professional guidance.

For a law school located in one of America's largest legal markets, that's a meaningful investment in preparing graduates for actual courtroom and client work.

The Clifford Excellence Scholarships will provide financial assistance to qualifying law students.

DePaul says the program will recognize high-achieving students who demonstrate qualities such as integrity, compassion, service, and ethical leadership.

The university has not announced how many students will receive scholarships annually or the individual award amounts.

However, the endowed funding is intended to create an ongoing source of financial support.

The Clifford Distinguished Faculty Fellows program will support professors undertaking significant legal research.

Participants will receive three-year fellowships, scholarly support, and opportunities to present and discuss their work.

The gift will also support DePaul's existing Clifford Symposium on Tort Law & Social Policy, along with technology improvements and other academic priorities.

The symposium has brought legal scholars and practitioners together for more than 30 years to examine issues involving civil justice and public policy.

In other words, the new donation builds on decades of Clifford family involvement rather than starting from scratch.

Here's what makes this story particularly interesting for Naples residents.

The Cliffords aren't simply people who spend part of the year in Southwest Florida.

They've been involved in some of the community's most recognizable philanthropic organizations for years.

Joan Clifford currently serves on the Board of Directors of Naples Botanical Garden.

In March 2025, she chaired the Garden's popular Hats in the Garden fundraiser.

That event raised more than $4.5 million for the Garden's mission, including initiatives designed to help children reconnect with nature.

The couple also has a lengthy history with the Naples Winter Wine Festival and the Naples Children Foundation, formerly known as the Naples Children & Education Foundation.

Robert and Joan served as co-chairs of the 2012 Naples Winter Wine Festival, which raises money to support programs benefiting vulnerable children in Collier County.

Today, they are recognized as emeritus trustees of the foundation.

Their Naples connections also extend to the performing arts.

Gulfshore Playhouse lists Robert and Joan among its Season Ambassadors, recognizing their support of professional theater in the community.

And their contributions to the Naples area's cultural and charitable landscape have continued alongside their longstanding commitments in Chicago.

While Naples has benefited from the Cliffords' involvement, Chicago remains central to their professional and philanthropic history.

Robert's legal practice has been based there for decades.

Joan has also held leadership roles in the city's cultural community, including serving as chair of the Goodman Theatre's Board of Trustees.

Her background includes work in education, business, museum service, and nonprofit leadership.

Together, the couple represents a philanthropic model common among people with homes and deep personal ties in multiple cities: supporting the communities where they live while continuing to invest in institutions that shaped their lives.

For the Cliffords, DePaul University is one of those institutions.

The university's law school traces its origins to 1897 and has been part of DePaul since 1912.

Today, its alumni network includes more than 16,000 graduates working in law firms, businesses, public service, and the judiciary.

The Clifford donation arrives during DePaul's broader Mission: Forward fundraising campaign, which has a goal of raising $650 million.

University officials say the gift will help strengthen opportunities for students and faculty while supporting the school's longer-term ambitions.

And by renaming the college after Robert Clifford, the university is establishing a permanent institutional recognition of the family's contribution.

Future generations of students will study at a law school bearing his name.

That's a legacy extending well beyond a single donation announcement.

Naples is widely associated with luxury homes, waterfront estates, and a substantial concentration of wealth.

But another part of the city's identity is its philanthropic community.

Residents support everything from children's education and healthcare to conservation, the performing arts, and universities across the country.

The Clifford family's gift is a particularly striking example because it connects two communities: the Naples organizations the couple has supported for years and a Chicago university that helped shape both of their lives.

And while the $30 million is going to DePaul rather than a local Naples institution, the family's broader history is firmly connected to Southwest Florida.

The NNN Bottom Line: Robert and Joan Clifford have committed $30 million to a university they attended more than 50 years ago, creating scholarships, expanding legal education, and establishing a lasting institutional legacy.

For Naples residents, it's also a reminder that some of the people helping shape our local charitable community are making an impact far beyond Collier County.

And this time, that impact will have a name on the door.