IRVINE, Calif. (March 11, 2024) — Richard and Susan Bridgford, longtime supporters of the University of California, Irvine School of Law (UCI Law), have generously created an endowed scholarship in their name to support law students. The Bridgfords’ commitment — totaling $1.35 million — includes an estate gift as well as current use monies to ensure the new scholarship will be awarded as early as possible.
Rich Bridgford’s commitment to the Law School has been longstanding and this gift is not the Bridgfords’ first to the law school. Rich has served as chair of the Law School’s Board of Visitors since 2019, and the Bridgfords and his law firm, Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian LLP, have donated over $2 million to the Law School, including support for general scholarships, the Linda Ray Bridgford Endowed Scholarship (established in 2020), the Initiative for Inclusive Civil Justice, and the UCI Law Fund. Rich is also a member of the UCI Foundation Board of Trustees and is a supporter of many other University programs, including UCI Health and the School of Medicine. His firm has often hired UCI Law students and UCI undergraduates to work on cutting-edge cases, from mass-shooting class actions, to wildfire litigation, to wrongful death and train-related accidents.
“We are immensely grateful for Rich and Susan Bridgford’s tremendous gift and continued extraordinary support of the Law School,” said UCI Law Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law Austen Parrish. “Their commitment to UCI has been remarkable and their establishment of this endowed scholarship will help reduce the cost of education for our students. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity.”
“Because attorneys are the makers, interpreters, and enforcers of the rule of law, which itself is the foundation of a free society, we consider nothing to be more important to the future of our democracy and our nation than the education of this generation of attorneys,” said Rich Bridgford.
UCI Law has benefited from the thoughtful generosity of friends of the law school since its founding. “Orange County is home to some of the finest lawyers in the nation, who are deeply philanthropic,” Parrish added. “The Law School was founded with an ambitious vision to create a different kind of law school – one that prepares students to practice at the very highest levels, while making a real difference in the community through a commitment to public service, clinical education, and pro bono work. We are looking forward to partnering with more people like Rich and Susan, who understand the importance of having a world class law school in Orange County and who want to leave a lasting mark and create opportunities for others.”
More about Richard and Susan Bridgford
Active supporters of their community, the Bridgfords have a long history of active involvement with local organizations including the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, as well as their church and their children’s schools. Susan and Rich were honored by National Philanthropy Day Orange County in 2009 for their remarkable volunteerism and generosity, and Rich was honored by the Father’s Day Council as a 2011 Father of the Year.
Rich Bridgford is founding partner of Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian LLP. A successful trial attorney with 38 years of experience, he has obtained significant financial awards for his clients in jury trials, judge trials, arbitrations, mediations, appeals and pre-litigation disputes, all as first chair. He presently acts as plaintiff’s counsel in a range of mass tort and class action litigation, including the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the Northern and Southern California wildfire litigation, and the Maui fire wildfire litigation, among others.
Bridgford also represents individuals and businesses in breach of contracts, business/commercial fraud, construction defect, construction delay, real estate contracts, real estate fraud, and broker/finder actions. He has handled high-value estates (beneficiary/trustee disputes), insurance bad faith and coverage, unfair competition, trade secrets/intellectual property, wrongful termination, personal injury, and high value auto accidents. Liability exposure on these cases has ranged from $500,000 to $13.5 billion dollars.
Rich Bridgford received a J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1985 and a B.A. in Economics from Stanford in 1982. Before founding his firm, he was an attorney at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker in the firm’s Los Angeles and Orange County offices as well as Hamilton & Samuels in Newport Beach. Before entering private practice, he was an extern in the White House Office of Legal Counsel in Washington, D.C.
UCI Law invites alumni and supporters of the school to follow in Rich and Susan’s footsteps and join them in supporting the Law School’s remarkable trajectory. Please contact Joshua Larsen, the Executive Director of Development, for more information.
About the University of California, Irvine School of Law
The University of California, Irvine School of Law is a visionary law school that provides an innovative and comprehensive curriculum, prioritizes public service, and demonstrates a commitment to equity within the legal profession. Nearly half of all UCI Law’s J.D. graduates are people of color, and almost a third are first-generation students. At UCI Law, we are driven to improve our local, national, and global communities by grappling with important issues as scholars, as practitioners, and as teachers who are preparing the next generation of leaders. The collaborative and interdisciplinary community at UCI Law includes extraordinary students, world-renowned faculty, dedicated staff, engaged alumni, and enthusiastic supporters. Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, and sign up for our monthly newsletter for the latest news and events at UCI Law.
