Alum’s Support Continues With Estate Gift Funding Diversity Scholarships

Peter Berge, a well-known attorney in the Twin Cities, was also an invested member of the Mitchell Hamline community. He served as an adjunct and an alumni board member for many years and continued his investment in the school after his death with a significant estate gift, a portion of which will endow a permanent scholarship in Peter’s name for diverse students and another portion will provide matching funds for new gifts to diversity scholarships at Mitchell Hamline.

“These diversity scholarships will help Mitchell Hamline become an even more welcoming, diverse, and equitable school,” says President and Dean Anthony Niedwiecki. “We’re grateful for the dedication Peter gave to this school during his life and equally as grateful for this gift from his estate.”

Peter ’83 was an early supporter of the school’s partially online Hybrid J.D. program. He worked at Minnesota CLE for many years as director of web education, and his years of work in continuing legal education helped him understand early on the potential of distance legal education. His career also included clerking at the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court, and teaching at Temple Law and Georgetown Law.

His active legal career included primarily representing injured plaintiffs and he co-authored a guide to Minnesota’s no-fault car insurance law. “One of the real good guys in our industry,” read one comment on Peter’s CaringBridge page.

“I know Peter was a kind man who could engage with a wide variety of people on such a personal and genuine level, and I miss him greatly,” notes Mitchell Hamline Board of Trustees Chair Frank Harris ’75. “Knowing that his legacy will be forever cemented at Mitchell Hamline by helping diverse and underserved populations warms my heart. He made impressive use of his Mitchell law degree, both in practice and teaching, and yet he was so much more than merely a great lawyer.”

“I think Peter genuinely desired to help others and have a positive impact on the world,” says Peter’s brother, Mark. “His bequest to Mitchell Hamline seems a final cap on the range of contributions he made over a lifetime to the well-being of all.”

If you would like to know more about making a scholarship gift through cash, stock or your estate plan, contact Leslie A. Wright at 651-290-6355 or leslie.wright@mitchellhamline.edu.