UW Alumni Metzke Gift Triggers $1 Million for College of Law

University of Wyoming alumni John and Dana Metzke have donated $500,000 to the UW College of Law, a gift that will trigger an additional $500,000 in matching funds from the UW Foundation’s Legacy Match Fund.

According to a report from uwyo.edu, this combined $1 million investment will provide new scholarship support for law students.

The contribution expands one of the college’s largest scholarship endowments. This funding aims to lower the financial barriers that often prevent talented individuals from entering the legal profession.

The Metzkes’ involvement with the university began in 1989 when they were early-career professionals. Since then, their support has evolved from simple donations to active participation in the academic community. John Metzke, a 1984 graduate of the UW College of Law, previously stepped in to teach a business organizations class when the school required an instructor.

John Metzke earned his Juris Doctor with honors and served as managing editor of the Land and Water Law Review during his time as a student.

Following graduation, he joined the Cheyenne law firm Hirst Applegate LLP, where he has built a career specializing in estate and business planning. While he has practiced for four decades, he continues to serve as counsel at the firm to maintain continuity for long-term clients.

Dana Bates Metzke, a Wyoming native, earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the university in 1976. Her professional background includes newspaper journalism, corporate public relations, and corporate government relations. She has also served various Wyoming organizations, including the Cheyenne Symphony Foundation and the Laramie County Library Foundation.

“Lawyers must become seen as contributors, not as exploiters,” John Metzke said.

Metzke expressed a desire for the legal profession to maintain a stronger connection to the community. He suggested that every lawyer admitted to practice in Wyoming should support the College of Law through mentoring, volunteering for student competitions, employing graduates, or contributing to scholarship funds.

The impact of the gift is centered on the economic reality of modern legal schooling. Increased scholarship availability directly addresses the rising costs of tuition and the subsequent debt loads carried by new attorneys.

Julie Hill, dean of the UW College of Law, noted that the scholarship facilitates broader access to legal education. She stated that the funding empowers students to serve various Wyoming communities by reducing the debt burden that often dictates where a graduate can afford to practice.

The gift builds upon a scholarship endowment the couple originally established in 2015. This latest investment ensures that the Metzke scholarship fund remains a permanent fixture for future generations of Wyoming lawyers.

John Stark, president and CEO of the UW Foundation, noted that the donation demonstrates how straightforward the process of giving can be. He indicated that the Foundation works to tailor the process for those considering gifts through their estates or immediate contributions.

“John and Dana embody steadiness, humility and deep commitment to our students and to our state,” Hill said.