In the summer of 1975, SCU alumna Barbara Beck JD ’78, had a revelation. While on a blind date to see “Jaws,” her life took an unexpected turn. “While it wasn’t especially memorable,” it led to a revelation. Her date was studying law at Santa Clara in the evenings, which Beck didn’t realize was possible. The former Medical Microbiology major and high school science teacher had always harbored a passion for the law. However, when she mentioned her interest in taxation during her undergraduate orientation, due to her outgoing personality, she was steered toward teaching instead.
Armed with this new-found knowledge, Beck soon found herself enrolled in SCU’s evening law program, in addition to teaching during the day. While at Santa Clara Law, she formed a strong relationship with prominent Bay Area tax attorney Jerry Kasner and made another important professional connection.
Kasner introduced her to estate planning, and a new and fulfilling career path suddenly opened. “I loved estate planning for two reasons,” she explains, “it involved teaching in the sense that it requires decent communications skills, so your clients can understand fairly complex tax law considerations.” And it also gave her more opportunities for face-to-face interactions.
After her admission to the bar, Beck launched a successful 33-year career as a sole practitioner at the Barbara A. Beck Law Corporation, handling estate planning, trust and estate administration, probate, and estate and fiduciary tax planning. In 2012, she joined Temmerman, Cilley & Kohlmann, LLP, although she is now semi-retired. She still serves in an advisory capacity with the firm.
As a trust and estate attorney, Beck’s planned gift to the Santa Clara School of Law’s Katharine And George Alexander Community Law Center reflects not just sound tax sense but also supports an organization she believes in. The Alexander Community Law Center provides pro bono legal representation to low-income individuals in the areas of consumer law, immigration law, workers’ rights, and tax-related matters. And, in a nod to an important professional mentor, she also supports Santa Clara’s Kasner Estate Planning Symposium—widely considered one of the premier estate planning conferences and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) events in the US, attracting close to 600 attendees and 50 sponsors/exhibitors each year.
What prompted her generosity? It began with a mailing she received from Santa Clara University’s Office of Planned Giving, which “made making the gift so easy and convenient, it all fit together.”
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If you’d like to learn more about how you can make a transformational impact for future Broncos, even beyond your lifetime, contact the Office of Planned Giving at 408-554-2108 or giftplanning@scu.edu to get started today!