A $1 million gift from Stephen A. Sheller, Esq., HD ’17 and Sandra Sheller ’04, ’05 will create an endowment to permanently fund an initiative at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law that will prepare undergraduate students and working professionals from underrepresented backgrounds for the study and practice of law through workshops, classes and networking programs.
“I’m deeply grateful to Stephen and Sandra Sheller for their continued generosity to Drexel, which will help add much needed diversity to the legal profession in Philadelphia and beyond,” said John Fry, Drexel president. “I’m particularly pleased that the Shellers’ gift will play a key role in advancing the University's priority of promoting both diversity and antiracism by making the Thomas R. Kline School of Law and other law schools more accessible to students from all backgrounds."
Known as the Stephen and Sandra Sheller Diversity Pipeline Program, the initiative was created in 2019 by Danielle Boardley, the school’s assistant dean for diversity, inclusion and student life, and supported by separate annual funding provided by the Shellers beginning in 2020. By creating a long-term, sustainable foundation for the Sheller Diversity Pipeline Program to grow in reach, visibility and impact, the new gift will enable the Kline School of Law to further its goals of increasing representation in the legal profession. The American Bar Association estimates that fewer than 15 percent of lawyers in the U.S. are African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American or multiracial. By comparison, those groups represent approximately two-thirds of Philadelphia’s population.
Available at no cost to students from backgrounds underrepresented in the legal field, the Sheller Diversity Pipeline Program demystifies the law school admission process and academic experience during three weeks of workshops and classes held in the summer and it connects participants to mentors. The program seeks to benefit culturally diverse and historically underrepresented groups.
Initially designed for third- and fourth-year undergraduate students, the expanded program will be able to also accommodate younger undergraduate students as well as college graduates. In 2019, all nine members accepted into the inaugural cohort were students at Lincoln University in Southeastern Pennsylvania, the nation’s first degree-granting historically black college and university (HBCU). The cohorts have grown each year, including 40 students participating this year from colleges and universities across the U.S.
In addition to receiving guidance on the admission process, LSAT and legal careers, participants practice many of the skills required in law school during mini classes taught by Kline School of Law faculty and guest lecturers on contracts, advocacy, legal reading and writing, professionalism and other topics. Students also participate in valuable and distinctive immersive experiences, including residing on Drexel’s campus with their program peers and gaining exposure to experiential learning, advocacy and community organizing through the law school’s Andy and Gwen Stern Community Lawyering Clinic.
“It is a privilege for us to support the Kline School of Law and future generations of the legal profession,” said Stephen and Sandra Sheller. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to advance through education. And all people must have fair access to and representation in the legal system. We’re pleased that this critical program serves both goals.”
It is a privilege for us to support the Kline School of Law and future generations of the legal profession. Everyone deserves the opportunity to advance through education. And all people must have fair access to and representation in the legal system. We’re pleased that this critical program serves both goals.
Since its founding in 2006, the Kline School of Law has remained steadfast in its commitment to socially conscious lawyering. As a leader in hands-on, experiential and clinical education in a highly diverse city that is renowned for the excellence, depth and breadth of its legal community, the school is prepared and determined to grow access and opportunity for underrepresented students who are considering careers in law.
“We are immensely grateful to Stephen and Sandra Sheller for providing opportunities for students of all backgrounds to consider and have access to a legal education,” said Daniel M. Filler, dean and professor of law at the Kline School of Law. “As a community dedicated to training the next generation of lawyers and leaders, the Kline School of Law holds diversity and inclusion as critical values. We expect our graduates to deliver excellent services to a wide array of clients and to guide the legal community and society at large through the major transitions of the 21st century. A diverse and inclusive law school community is a prerequisite to these goals and aspirations.”
Stephen Sheller, a Philadelphia attorney and founder and managing partner of the Sheller, P.C. law firm, is a lifetime advocate for the rights of individuals who has fought against corruption in industry and served as a champion for those harmed by negligence and misconduct. Currently an emeritus member of Drexel’s board of trustees, he was named to the University’s board in 2003 and serves on the Kline School of Law Advisory Board. The author of three books and recipient of multiple professional awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Legal Intelligencer in 2015, Mr. Sheller was granted honorary doctoral degrees by Drexel in 2017 and Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2019.
Sandy Sheller is a retired art and family therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor and assistant clinical professor at Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. She and Mr. Sheller have served on the dean’s advisory council at the college. Ms. Sheller also received a master’s degree in art therapy and counseling as well as postgraduate certification in couples and family therapy from the college. Among multiple other awards, she was inducted into the Drexel 100, which recognizes distinguished alumni of the University, in 2015. Through her significant experience working with at-risk families and children, and those experiencing homelessness, Ms. Sheller has been committed to breaking down barriers to fair and just opportunities for all.
The Shellers have enthusiastically supported other Drexel initiatives. In 2014, they made a significant gift to launch the Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services, which delivers comprehensive health services – including primary care, behavioral health, dental services, and health and wellness programs – to Philadelphia residents, with special attention to vulnerable people and residents of public housing units in the city’s 11th Street Corridor. Beyond its service mission, Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services also provides training to students enrolled in Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions.
In addition to their philanthropy advancing Drexel, the Shellers support a range of causes and programs committed to improving lives and addressing economic and social disparity, including the Sheller Center for Social Justice at Temple University Beasley School of Law, Opera Philadelphia Vocational Training Program, the Free Library of Philadelphia, Jefferson University and the University of Pennsylvania. The Shellers also have provided longstanding support to the Salvation Army, the National Liberty Museum, Women Against Abuse and the Pennsylvania National Guard. They have funded scholarships benefiting students in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education as well as the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. Currently the Shellers are supporting a large playground restoration at the Tanner Duckrey School in North Philadelphia, and they have spearheaded and funded a national award-winning Mural Arts Philadelphia program titled Color Me Back for people experiencing economic insecurity.
The gift marked a major progression in Drexel’s fundraising and engagement campaign, The Future Is a Place We Make, which launched publicly in 2017 and concluded on June 30, 2022. Including the Shellers’ new commitment, the effort surpassed $806 million – more than $55 million above its original goal. The Campaign for Drexel advanced the University’s highest strategic priorities, including creating pathways for student support and success; growing commitment to access, diversity and inclusion; pioneering approaches in teaching and learning; accelerating multidisciplinary and high-impact research and innovation; and deepening civic engagement. In addition to financial goals, the campaign engaged a widening circle of alumni in the life of the University.