Elizabeth Martin Savino ’92, William F. Savino ’75 and Emma M. Savino ’18.
A Family Tradition of Giving Becomes a Call to Action
A long tradition of investing in UB School of Law has hit a new milestone with a major commitment of support by one alumni family, and a challenge for others to do the same.
The $500,000 gift by Bill, Liz and Emma Savino will endow the Emma M. Savino ’18, Elizabeth Martin Savino ’92 and William F. Savino ’75 Faculty Scholar, funding the salary of a UB Law professor with special expertise in business and commercial law and litigation.
“We are deeply grateful to Bill, Liz and Emma Savino, who have long been champions of our law school, contributing to our community in countless ways,” says Dean S. Todd Brown. “This extraordinary endowment gift builds upon decades of their support. By investing in our faculty, they are creating a lasting legacy—one that will enrich the student experience and shape the intellectual life of this institution for generations.”
“I want to challenge my classmates, and other multigenerational UB Law families to make their own family-wide gifts to the law school. Many of our friends and classmates are in a position to do so, and this is our call to them.” - Bill Savino '75
Interested in Creating Your Own Family Legacy? Contact Karen Kaczmarski, Vice Dean for Advancement at krkacz@buffalo.edu.
The Savinos’ gift is the latest expression of support by a family who is deeply committed to helping advance the law school. Faithful donors to the UB Law Annual Fund, they also fund a scholarship for UB Law students with a Canadian degree, as well as a fellowship that eases the financial burden for students who are pursuing unpaid summer work experience at a nonprofit, government or public interest agency.
Their generosity is matched by the time and expertise they continue to share. Bill Savino is a familiar face in O’Brian Hall. A partner in the Buffalo law firm Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP, he focuses his practice on business and construction litigation and brings that expertise to the classroom. He is a popular and engaging adjunct professor during the January bridge term, teaching an intensive course in commercial litigation at the law school. In 2019, he received the law school’s Ken Joyce Excellence in Teaching Award. From 1979 to 2023, he also taught courses in business law to undergraduate seniors in UB’s Jacobs School of Management.
A longtime member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, Bill has also been honored both with the Law Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus Award for Business, and the Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the highest honor jointly bestowed by the law school and the Law Alumni Association.
Bill’s wife, Liz Savino, is retired from CTG Inc. after a 32-year career with the international information technology company. She began there as a legal assistant while still in law school and became assistant general counsel after graduating with her JD. She went on to become managing director of human resources and employment law and later joined the executive team as the company’s vice president of human resources.
Their daughter, Emma, is a senior associate with the Buffalo law firm Hodgson Russ LLP in its state and local tax practice group. “I am proud to join my family in establishing the Savino Family Faculty Scholar Fund,” she says. “It is my hope that this donation will empower outstanding faculty members to pursue impactful research and inspire the next generation of commercial litigators. My family and I believe that investing in dedicated faculty is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen the profession and our legal community.”
The Savinos’ gift aims to further the law school’s strength in business law, which, as Bill says, is essential to equipping students to work at the highest levels. “We need a balance of courses,” he says, “but it’s important that we can place students in big markets, like New York City. Big Law in New York City wants certain things, and it’s very important that we graduate students who understand business and business conflicts.”
“Regardless of which path you choose within the legal profession, understanding commercial principles is essential, as they form the foundation of the global marketplace. So, the availability of business-focused coursework during law school provides new attorneys with a distinct competitive edge," notes Liz Savino. "I often regretted not pursuing more business-oriented studies during my own legal education."
However, the Savinos’ contribution extends beyond a focus on curriculum; it serves as an expression of profound gratitude for the unique community they encountered at UB Law.
“We frequently reflect on how fortunate we have been,” Liz Savino says. “We are grateful to live in the City of Buffalo and to have attended a law school that values community and welcomes students from many different backgrounds. Bill came to law school as a musician, and I was a recent arrival from Canada with a science background. I also had both of our children while attending law school. UB Law accommodated those circumstances and helped make our success possible.”
That enduring sense of community remains deeply meaningful to the Savinos. Liz says the law school provided the foundation for their careers, and that the support and friendships they have received from UB Law alumni throughout their professional lives has been invaluable. “Through this gift,” she says, “we hope to extend those same opportunities to future generations of UB Law students.”
“Giving back to the law school is more than an expression of gratitude, it’s an investment in the kind of legal profession and legal community that we want to build,” Bill Savino says. “I want to challenge my classmates, and other multigenerational UB Law families to make their own family-wide gifts to the law school. Many of our friends and classmates are in a position to do so, and this is our call to them.”