More than 150 Drexel University and law school alumni, faculty, staff and students gathered Dec. 9 at the Pyramid Club to celebrate exciting developments at the Kline School of Law.

The event served as a mixer for Kline School of Law alumni and Drexel University alumni who had received their JDs from other law schools.

All it took to bring off the unprecedented event was $50 million, Dean Roger Dennis joked, referring to the massive gift from Tom Kline that President Fry announced in September.

Dennis said the transformative gift will enable the law school to take its strong advocacy program "to the next level and become the best Trial Advocacy center in the United States."

Law school officials have begun developing plans for programs to inhabit the historic Beneficial Savings Fund Society Building at 12th and Chestnut streets that will house the Thomas R. Kline Institute of Trial Advocacy.

Work with the architects will start early in 2015.

Complimenting Dennis and the faculty of the law school, Kline said he is delighted to have made what he knows is a great investment in the future.  All he expects in return, Kline quipped, are hundreds of exceptional trial lawyers, a bunch of judges, a couple U.S. senators and one president of the United States.

As a result of the gift, Kline said, he and alumni of the law school share a permanent bond.

"We're linked together now for life," he said. "You are linked to me, and I'm very proud of it."