Published on Nov. 16, 2023

Updated on July 26, 2024

An exciting upset against Tennessee wasn’t the only notable event in Columbia this Veteran’s Day weekend — Mizzou Law welcomed home alumni from the classes of the 1970s for a reunion on Friday and Saturday.

The reunion featured a cocktail party, a tailgate, and walking tours of the law school’s former location, Tate Hall.

Mizzou Law alumnus John Young ‘73, traveled to Columbia from Joplin, Missouri for the weekend. He said that he was excited to reconnect with classmates, especially given how long it’s been since the last reunion for his class.

“It’s always fun to see people you went to school with,” Young said. “It’s been a really great experience so far.”

The Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic, which put together the reunion, also hosted an open house on Friday as a part of the weekend’s festivities, during which alumni were invited to hear from law school students and staff about the clinic’s work.

The clinic was first created in 2014, so alums from the 1970s would not have participated during their time at Mizzou Law, but as 3L Kate Albers pointed out, they may be no stranger to the clinic’s work.

“To be able to show alumni who lived through and were directly impacted by the Vietnam War with regard to how service members are treated … what their law school is doing to actively help Veterans, it’s an incredible thing for them, and I think a meaningful thing for them,” Albers said.

Alumnus Bill Wunderlich ‘73, hadn’t heard about the Veterans Clinic until Bob Langdon, the class representative for the class of 1973, sent a letter inviting his class back to Columbia. During the open house, he had the opportunity to learn about how to clinic handles cases while also assisting outside attorneys in engaging with pro bono veterans cases.

“It’s just a good excuse to get out and see the law school,” Wunderlich added.

During Friday night’s cocktail party, Dean Paul Litton outlined the history of the clinic, which has served hundreds of veterans in securing $14 million in benefits.

During Saturday’s game, alumni presented the Veterans Clinic with a $128,000 check in support of the clinic’s mission to serve veterans at no cost. The donation will go towards costs associated with the clinic, including outreach and faculty salaries.