“A law degree is more versatile than any other degree.”

A former pilot in the Korean War with an entrepreneurial go-getter attitude, Bill Bernard had the right stuff to build a successful, life-long law practice. The tools Bill obtained in law school, along with a good business sense, proved to be the right combination for a rewarding career. He received a two-year degree in pre-engineering and accounting. Then, faced with the choice of enrolling in school or being drafted, he joined the Navy and qualified for flight training school. In April 1950, he got his wings and went on to spend five years on active duty in the West Pacific and Korea. Following his service, Bill came to Minnesota to get his engineering degree. It was

around that time he was set up on a blind date with a College of St. Catherine coed. Something clicked with them. Bill and Catherine Bernard have been married for over 50 years. After earning his degree, Bill worked as an aeronautical engineer with Honeywell, Minneapolis, and Catherine worked as a nurse. Then, he decided to attend law school. Typical of many William Mitchell alumni, Bill continued to work during the day while attending classes at night. After graduating from William Mitchell in 1963, he and Catherine moved their family to Willmar, Minn. He practiced for a brief period with another attorney, then with support from Catherine, who was involved in the community and their church, Bill took the leap and opened his own practice above a flower shop in town. In the beginning, he worked some half-days in surrounding smaller towns. Over time, with perseverance and strong advocacy for his clients, Bill built up his practice. Together, Bill and Catherine raised their three children, of whom they are extremely proud. One daughter is an engineer with an MBA who owns her own company. Their other daughter is a successful lawyer who headed a legal department of a largeContinued on Page 2

Willmar lawyer helps veterans with scholarship endowment

company with offices around the world. Their son settled in Seattle and his daughter, Bill and Catherine’s granddaughter, recently graduated from nursing school—following in Catherine’s footsteps. Versatility is a virtue the family values, and something Bill understands well. “A law degree is more versatile than any other degree,” he said. “With a law degree you can go to work for the government, go into business for yourself, work for someone else or a company, go into politics, or teach at a law school.” Bill appreciates the breadth of possibilities available to an individual with a law degree, which is one of the reasons he chose to help William Mitchell students by establishing the William N. Bernard Endowed Scholarship through his estate plans. Moreover, he hopes to help students who served in the Navy or have a military background, deciding that a scholarship at William Mitchell was the best way “to give something back to the guys I admire working with.” In addition to including William Mitchell as a beneficiary of their estate, Bill and Catherine were looking for another source of income during retirement. To that end, Bill contracted with William Mitchell for a charitable gift annuity, which pays a fixed amount for life. When the annuity ends, the remaining funds will be added to their scholarship. (See details on charitable gift annuities on Page 3.) At the time the gift annuity was set up with the school, Bill

was eligible for a charitable tax deduction, and now a portion of each annuity payment is tax-free. And this spring, after hearing about the great need for scholarships and the college’s matching fund, Bill decided to make an additional tax-deductible gift, using funds from his IRA to get the Bernard Scholarship started this year. According to a student leader of William Mitchell Veterans’ Assistance Organization student group, there are nearly 50 students who are veterans, on

active duty, or have family members who are veterans or on active duty. By making a scholarship gift now, Bill will be able to interact with the students he is helping—

giving them advice and seeing the difference his scholarship makes in their lives. When asked what area of law he practiced during his career, Bill confidently stated that he had a general practice and did everything “from A-Z, adoptions to zoning.” William Mitchell helped Bill attain the skills necessary to become a top advocate for his clients, and with his impressive business sense, he put those skills to good use. Now, he wants to make sure that other young people have the same opportunities he did. Commenting on Bill’s reputation, David Schneider ’95, a lawyer in Willmar who has known Bill his whole life, described him as “a real lawyer’s lawyer—a very honorable man.” We can think of no higher compliment.

You can make a difference for William MitchellOur team of development professionals can help you and your estate planning advisors develop a plan to satisfy both your family and philanthropic goals.

Contact:

Lisa Barton ’97651-290-6357lisa.barton@wmitchell.edu

Marie Ruzek ’01651-290-6412marie.ruzek@wmitchell.edu

A Gift in Your WillAn easy way to turn your good intentions into action

Sample Bequest LanguageI give William Mitchell College of Law, 875 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105, (____% of the residue of my estate) or (the sum of $______), to be used wherever the needs and opportunities are greatest.

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Bernard hopes to give something back to the guys he admired and worked with.

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What is a charitable gift annuity? Not to be confused with a commercial annuity, which is an insurance product that pays a fixed amount to the annuitant for life with the remainder going to the insurance company, a charitable gift annuity is a type of gift made to a not-for-profit organization. A gift annuity is a simple, contractual agreement with William Mitchell College of Law in which you transfer assets to us in exchange for our promise to pay you and/or another person an annual premium for life. The remainder is a gift to William Mitchell, which qualifies for a charitable income tax deduction.

Why would I consider a charitable gift annuity?

1. You’ve thought of helping the law school and like the idea of getting a fixed annual payment.

2. You want to supplement your retirement income and could use a tax deduction now.

3. It promises fixed and attractive payments during retirement with no investment worries.

4. Rates from 4.4 to 8 percent or higher depending on age, deferral, and number of annuitants.

5. It’s working well for alumni like Bill Bernard ‘63 and Justice Douglas Amdahl ‘51.

Reflecting on his pleasure with this gift arrangement in a 2005 interview, former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice

Douglas Amdahl said, “We wanted to do something to support William Mitchell but also wanted to make sure we had enough income during retirement. The charitable gift annuity allowed us to accomplish our goals—we were able to make a substantial gift to the college and receive annuity payments for the rest of our lives. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

What about deferring my annuity payments?This works well for people nearing retirement in a higher tax bracket, where a large deduction now is welcome, but retirement income is not yet necessary. Generally, the older you are and the longer the deferral period, the higher the fixed annual rate of payments.

Charitable gift annuities offer reliable incomeby Marie Ruzek ‘01

We wanted to do something to support Mitchell but also wanted to make sure we

had enough income during retirement. The charitable gift annuity allowed us to accomplish

our goals.

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What are members of the Heritage Society saying?“I can speak from personal experience about the role William Mitchell College of Law has played, is playing, and will play in our society both locally and further afield. Through its graduates, faculty, and staff, it fulfills a special role and purpose worthy of consideration by anyone contemplating making a charitable gift. I see the college’s need of financial support every day. My wife and I have taken steps in our own way to help in the future.” - Professor James F. Hogg Chair, Heritage Society

Members of the Heritage Society have made an important contribution to securing a vibrant future for William Mitchell by including the law school in their estate plans via bequests, trusts, IRA beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, insurance, and other deferred gifts. For more information on the Heritage Society, please contact Marie Ruzek at 651-290-6412.

Professor James F. Hogg

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by Marie Ruzek ‘01