To Robin Miles, L’86, and Dara Miles, L’87, an education at the University of Kansas School of Law can be life changing. Both are KU Law alumni, and they even met on Dara’s first day of law school.

They have given generously to the School of Law over the years, including emergency funds and bar exam study support. They have also pledged an estate gift to KU Law to add to their existing endowed fund — Robin and Dara Miles Law Opportunity Fund — which will provide unrestricted funds to the school to carry on their legacy.

“KU gave me and Dara these tools to succeed,” Robin said. “We really hit the ground running as young lawyers, in good part to how we were taught and the experiences we had. We just wanted others to be able to do that as well, and having an affordable way to get a great legal education is very important to us.”

Dara died in 2024 after a battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy as a lawyer, journalist and philanthropist. Dara’s generosity extends beyond KU; she founded a nonprofit, Climb Avy Aware, to raise awareness for ice climbing after her climbing group was caught in an avalanche in Canada and the climber beside Dara was buried and killed. Robin has now taken the reins of the nonprofit in honor of Dara.

During law school, Dara was a weekend anchor at WIBW-TV, and she later dove into investigative journalism and freelanced for The New York Times. Her stories focused on animals, people and the importance of education.

“Dara was a people person,” Robin said. “Dara and I had close bonds with the KU Law faculty, and, for her, even more so with the students. Some of my lifetime friends are really from her law school class.”

While Robin is originally from Oklahoma, Dara was a native Kansan. She was born in Leavenworth, and her family had been Kansans for five generations.

“She always had an affinity and connection to KU,” Robin said. “She’s always been a real Jayhawk at heart and a Kansan through and through.”

Robin hopes that his and Dara’s legacy will continue at the School of Law with the Robin and Dara Miles Law Opportunity Fund, which will provide unrestricted support to the school, whether in the form of scholarships, professorships or facility updates.

“I believe in Dean Mazza’s vision of what the school should be doing, and it’s consistent with what I experienced in school when I was there,” Robin said. “It’s important for lawyers to have a well-grounded legal education that’s rigorous and also practical, and I just want to give the school money to use as it sees fit.”

If you are interested in supporting the School of Law or you want to create a planned giving legacy at KU like Robin and Dara, contact Bethany Tegtmeier, senior development director, at 785-832-7466 or btegtmeier@kuendowment.org.

-By Rylie Oswald, KU Endowment