Farhang & Medcoff Donate $50,000 for “A New Day in Court” Initiative
Tucson-based law firm Farhang & Medcoff, has donated $50,000 to the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law in support of the college’s $6 million “A New Day in Court” initiative to significantly reconstruct student courtrooms and expand the advocacy program’s offerings.
When construction is complete, students will argue their case work from the Farhang & Medcoff Speaker’s Podium —an upgraded space in the college’s new Kevin R. Boyle Courtroom.
“High quality legal education begets high quality legal advocates. By creating courtrooms with the latest technology, the University of Arizona will be able to attract the brightest law students and transform those students into skilled advocates for the betterment of our profession and community,” saidTimothy Medcoff(’98), partner and, alongside attorney and co-founderAli Farhang, “I am indebted to the University of Arizona’s College of Law. My education and the connections that I made in law school changed the trajectory of my life and enabled me to build the career and community I enjoy today.”
Founded in 2008, Farhang & Medcoff is a leading, minority-owned and operated, LGBTQ+ and military-friendly Arizona law firm with locations in both Tucson and Phoenix. The firm handles a broad range of matters including business law, labor and employment, estates and trusts, and more. F&M attorneys pride themselves on their exceptional ethics, bold legal strategies, and unbroken commitment to their clients and communities. A number of UArizona Law alumni are part of the firm including Sara Derrick(’02), Neal Eckel (’87), Cyndy Valdez (’93), Michael Harnden (’10), Alexandra Tracy-Ramirez (’10), and Alan Leichty (’21).
“The support of Farhang & Medcoff demonstrates an investment in the future of legal education here in Arizona and will greatly enhance the opportunities and experiences available to our students,” said Barbara Bergman, director of Arizona Law’s Advocacy program. “It’s a joy to see fellow alumni and local partners uniting around this project.”
The “A New Day in Court” initiative will create fully functional, state-of-the-art spaces that give students a proper courtroom setting in which to learn and practice. The college’s advocacy program will also be renamed to the Thomas Mauet Advocacy Program, in honor of Professor Emeritus and renowned trial expert Thomas Mauet.
The program prepares students for careers in the courtroom, with a strong emphasis on experiential classes that allow students to act as litigators and try cases against each other. The program also teaches co advocacy skills such as client interviews and fact gathering that are essential for any attorney, both in and out of the courtroom.
“Advocacy skills transcend all facets of the practice of law, even beyond trial work. For example, you cannot market yourself to clients and build your book of business if you cannot speak intelligently and persuasively which are skills learned, among many others, in oral advocacy classes,” said Medcoff.
The Farhang & Medcoff gift brings the total amount raised for “A New Day in Court” to $3.75 million.
“I enjoyed law school because of a culmination of many small memories—the small class sizes, the passionate professors, and the friendships I made, many of which continue to this day,” said Medcoff. “I’m blessed to have developed a firm with like-minded, compassionate attorneys who share my dedication for giving back to both our community, and our law school.”
Picture above from left – Timothy Medcoff, Partner and Co-Founder; Sara Derrick, Partner; Robert Garcia, Partner, Ali Farhang, Partner and Co-Founder