University of Miami School of Law has established a newly endowed business law program, with Dean Patricia Sánchez Abril serving as the endowed chair leading the initiative.
The program will roll out over the next few years at a time of notable change for business lawyers, as artificial intelligence and other technologies disrupt the legal profession. With more than 100 existing courses and experiential offerings in business and commercial law, the law school already has a solid foundation in the field. The new program will further strengthen the school’s ability to connect students with business law opportunities in a rapidly evolving global economy.
Supported by funding for an endowed chair, programmatic initiatives and strategic resources, the program will build on the law school’s existing strengths and deepen fluency in core areas of business law. It aims to prepare students for leadership roles across industries by attracting distinguished faculty, advancing research, fostering scholarship and promoting the principles of free enterprise.
Abril previously served as chair of the Business Law Department and as vice dean of the Miami Herbert Business School. Her background as a lawyer and scholar positions her to lead a program focused on both academic rigor and real‑world relevance.
The program is made possible by a donation from alumnus Demetrio J. Pérez.
“We have so many corporations moving to Florida, to Miami,” Pérez said. “They need to have the infrastructure to support all of that. It’s a natural fit for University of Miami to take the lead with this program and establish its identity with the business law program.”
University of Miami made preLaw Magazine’s honor roll for business law last fall, earning an A-.
