Thanks to a $2 million gift from Nancy Abell ’79, one of the most distinguished graduates of UCLA School of Law, and her husband, Leslie “Les” Abell, the school is proud to announce the establishment of the Nancy and Leslie Abell Family Chair in Employment and Labor Law.

“The Nancy and Leslie Abell Family Chair in Employment and Labor Law will further strengthen UCLA Law’s research and teaching missions in these immensely important areas of the law,” says Michael Waterstone, who is dean of the law school and himself an authority in employment and labor law. “I am so grateful for this incredible and forward-thinking gift, and all of us at the law school thank Nancy and Les for their truly outstanding contributions over the years to benefit our institution in so many different ways. They have long been two of our most determined, dedicated, and reliable partners.”

Nancy and Les have been giving to UCLA Law for decades, including a gift to support the establishment of the Nancy L. Abell and Leslie B. Abell Endowed Scholarship Fund, among other endeavors.

“I am grateful to the UCLA faculty, particularly the late professors Benjamin Aaron and Paul Boland, for the foundation they provided for my career,” says Nancy Abell. “Our family is delighted to help UCLA School of Law attract and retain exceptional labor and employment scholars who will inspire the next generation of lawyers and leave a lasting mark on the field.”

Nancy Abell is a member of the UCLA Law Class of 1979 and a deeply engaged alumna who has given back to her alma mater in many ways over many years. She is a longtime member of the UCLA Law Board of Advisors and a co-founder and co-chair of UCLA Law Women LEAD, an intergenerational leadership initiative that connects more than 5,000 UCLA Law alumni and students in 79 countries and promotes the advancement of women in the legal profession.  LEAD will hold its biennial summit on September 25 at Schoenberg Hall.

Recently retired after 45 years at Paul Hastings, Nancy enjoyed a remarkable career as a groundbreaking lawyer. She graduated from Pitzer College, where she was first in her class, and then from UCLA Law, where she was awarded the Order of the Coif and the Order of the Barristers. She joined Paul Hastings as a summer associate in 1978 and spent her entire legal career with that law firm, where she served on its executive committee and chaired its award-winning global employment law practice for almost 15 years. Over the years, she earned many significant awards. She was named one of the decade’s 40 most influential lawyers by The National Law Journal in 2010 and as one of 50 lawyers recognized on that publication’s inaugural “Litigation Trailblazers & Pioneers” list of professionals who have changed the practice of litigation through the use of innovative legal strategies. She is also the recipient of the Learned Hand Award for professional achievement and contributions to the community and human rights, a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and recognized in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame and Lawdragon Hall of Fame. She sits on the board of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.

In 2009, UCLA Law presented her with the Alumni of the Year award for professional achievement.

With more than 50 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Leslie Abell is an attorney who has advised clients across film, television, and new media, including actors, producers, directors, writers, documentary filmmakers, and creators in animation, graphic novels, merchandising, and book publishing. A graduate of USC and Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, he began his legal career as a litigator at Rose, Klein & Marias, before becoming a founding partner of the entertainment firm that was later known as Myman, Abell, Fineman & Greenspan. He currently practices independently through Leslie B. Abell, APC. He has been recognized among the best entertainment lawyers in Southern California every year since 2007. He is a past board chair and current board member of the Exceptional Children’s Foundation, which supports individuals with special needs through early-intervention services, residential and adult day programs, an adult art center, and the Kayne Eras Center.

Nancy and Les reside in Los Angeles, close to their two daughters, Allison and Lauren, and four grandchildren.