Mission Driven
Why did you decide to come to Suffolk Law School?
One of the things that appealed to me about Suffolk was how the students worked as a team supporting each other in the learning process, rather than as competitors. What I found after I enrolled was that Suffolk’s approach to education prepared us to be good practical lawyers, rather than just theoretical lawyers.
If you had to describe Suffolk Law in one word, what would it be?
Caring. I was diagnosed with stage four cancer in April of my second year at Suffolk. And my wife, Jacquie, and I just felt so supported by the school, the administration, our classmates, and our professors.
You’ve been giving back to Suffolk for 31 years. Why has it been important to you to give so consistently?
Because of my cancer treatments, I had to repeat my second year. But I received a full third-year scholarship that allowed me to complete law school. So, upon graduation, Jacquie and I wanted to pay it forward. We wanted to give back that tuition over the first few years while we were working, and when Suffolk decided to build the new law building, that was a perfect opportunity to make a major pledge.
You established the Jacqueline A. Gribens, JD ’91, Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of your late wife, who passed away in 2019. What impact do you hope the scholarship will have?
Jacquie was passionate about helping those who were less fortunate, especially after she participated in the former SUClinica program. And so, to memorialize her, I established this scholarship to help offset some of the expenses of Suffolk Law students working in the Immigrant Justice Clinic. With additional contributions and pledges, we’re just over the halfway mark to be able to start distributing funds. We hope that with the help of our classmates and other alumni, we will get over the finish line as quickly as possible.
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spring 2025
By Kathleen Peets
PARTNER, DELOITTE
Summa Society PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE Donor
Law Dean’s Cabinet member
Founder, San Francisco Suffolk Law Alumni Network
2025 Suffolk Law Outstanding Alumni Service Award Recipient
