Laurie Silvers learned the art of analysis in law school. Her favorite activity during her three-year legal education? Reading Supreme Court briefs and deconstructing the arguments.
After she graduated, Silvers parlayed her knack for detailed examination into a brilliant career in communications law, then went on to become a savvy entrepreneur, building a media conglomerate of radio, TV, cable, and internet and founding what would become one of cable television’s most popular networks: the SyFy Channel.
Along the way, she never forgot to pay it forward, giving generously to the university she describes as having a “profound influence on her life.”
Now, the double University of Miami alumna and current chair of the institution’s board of trustees has once again made a substantial contribution to her alma mater. Silvers, along with her husband, Mitchell Rubenstein, has donated $2.5 million to the University’s School of Law.
The gift is part of the new fundraising initiative Ever Brighter: The Campaign for Our Next Century. The most ambitious in the University’s history, the campaign already has raised more than $1.6 billion toward its $2.5 billion goal and is set to end in 2025, when the University celebrates its centennial.
“One of our most distinguished alumni, Laurie has long known that higher education is a pathway to achievement and has strived through her illustrious service to the U to extend opportunities to others,” said President Julio Frenk. “We are grateful for Laurie and Mitchell’s generous gift, which will help ensure that the School of Law excels at a time in history when the nation’s legal system is facing some of its greatest challenges.”
Josh Friedman, senior vice president for development and alumni relations, echoed Frenk’s sentiments. “We are so grateful to Laurie and Mitch for stepping forward as we unveil our Ever Brighter campaign publicly,” Friedman said. “Their continued generosity is an expression of their own gratitude for the influence this University had in their lives and an investment in future generations to experience the benefits of a University of Miami education.”
The donation is an example of Silvers and Rubenstein’s largesse to the University over the years. Their generosity created an endowed distinguished professorship and created student scholarships, including one for students committed to public service. The Laurie Silvers and Mitchell Rubenstein Hall, which houses the school’s award-winning clinics, is named in their honor.
“This is my way of giving back and saying thanks for the education I received at Miami Law, which has helped me achieve so much,” said Silvers, who also studied psychology, political science, and philosophy as an undergraduate at the University, of her latest contribution.
Silvers is co-CEO of Hollywood.com, the majority owner of four Florida FM radio stations, and a co-founder and the majority owner of the global esports organization Misfits Gaming Group (MGG)—which also includes the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Cleveland Browns as minority owners. Based in South Florida, MGG competes in some of the most successful video game titles worldwide and is a permanent partner in three franchised esports leagues.
The former chair of Miami PBS station Channel 2 and co-chair of South Florida PBS, Silvers also accomplished what others had failed to do for 20 years: She oversaw the merger of Miami and Palm Beach County’s PBS stations, creating South Florida PBS, the seventh largest PBS station in the country.
“Indeed, I credit a lot of what I’ve been able to accomplish in my professional career to the education that I received at the University of Miami, both as an undergraduate and as a law school student,” Silvers pointed out. “It is out of an abundance of appreciation for and a recognition of the importance of that education that I make this gift. It’s part of strengthening and supporting the goals of the law school so that our students have the best opportunities and the best education possible with the greatest faculty, scholarships, and programs all combined.”
Supporting the School of Law is critical, Silvers said, for the field of law is “the foundation for society, touching virtually every aspect of life. From innovation to technology to business to health care, law has an impact over just about everything. It’s truly overarching.”
Silvers said she is delighted that her latest gift will help push the University closer to its Ever Brighter goal.
“Ever Brighter will ensure the University’s growth—that we’ll be able to attract the best and the brightest faculty and students and build facilities where cutting-edge research will be conducted,” Silvers said. “It’ll be a quantum leap forward.”
