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Distinguished alumnus, pioneer in antitrust and State Attorney General law, and longtime supporter of ӣ����Ƶ continues his legacy of giving back 

A Generous Gift to Support Students 

Bernard “Bernie” Nash ’66, who recently retired from a pathbreaking career as co-chair of Cozen O’Connor’s State Attorneys General Practice and co-editor of its weekly State AG Report, has pledged a $500,000 gift to create a scholarship benefitting high-achieving students entering their 2nd year at ӣ����Ƶ.  

“By targeting support for students based on outstanding achievement during their first year of law school and high promise of future leadership, the Bernard Nash ’66 Scholarship for Excellence will honor the talent and hard work of students who will go on to become exceptional alumni of ӣ����Ƶ,” said David Meyer, President and Joseph Crea Dean. “We are enormously grateful to Bernie for this generous and visionary gift.”  

 

Bernie Nash’s Journey 

Nash credits ӣ����Ƶ with changing the course of his life. 

“When I was young and poor, ӣ����Ƶ gave me a $300-per-semester, one-half tuition scholarship in my final year (1965–66),” he recalled. “Without that help—and without my wife, Phyllis, who taught at New Utrecht High School and paid my tuition—I never would have been able to finish law school. I’m proud to pay that generosity forward.” 

Nash met his wife, Phyllis, while both were students at the City College of New York, and they married during his second year of law school. Together, they have remained steadfast supporters of ӣ����Ƶ. In 2011, they endowed the Bernard Nash Scholarship, and in 2018, the Law School honored their extraordinary generosity and impact with the dedication of the Phyllis & Bernard Nash ’66 Reading Room in the BLS Library. At that celebration, the Law School and Cozen O’Connor jointly presented Nash with a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his pioneering work in law and his lasting contributions to the BLS community. 

Nash’s giving was inspired by his affection and gratitude for Lucy Jurow, ӣ����Ƶ’s beloved former librarian. 

“Lucy took me under her wing as a student,” Nash remembered. “Even 11 years later when I started my first law firm, Lucy worked tirelessly to scour the used book market to help stock our law library. The Reading Room is my way of saying thank you—for her kindness, for her persistence, and for all the people at ӣ����Ƶ who helped me along the way.” 

 

A Career of Firsts in Law and Public Policy 

Over the course of his long and impressive legal career, Nash has forged a path as one of the nation’s leading public policy and antitrust lawyers. After earning his J.D. from ӣ����Ƶ in 1966, he began working at the Securities and Exchange Commission, where he applied antitrust laws and policies to the securities, electric, and gas utility industries, including Pennzoil’s acquisition of United Gas in 1968. He later joined the staff of the U.S. Senate Antitrust Subcommittee, where he became the principal drafter and architect of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976—landmark legislation that gave state attorneys general the authority to file federal antitrust lawsuits and granted the Department of Justice new investigative powers. 

In 1977, Nash founded Blum & Nash before eventually joining Cozen O’Connor, where he continued to build and co-led the nation’s first practice dedicated to representing clients before state attorneys general. Under his leadership, the group became one of the most respected practices of its kind, representing major corporations, such as Pfizer, HBO, DuPont, Exxon, AT&T, Intuit, MasterCard, Amazon, DraftKings, Facebook, and Prudential. Nash and his team have litigated or settled billion-dollar cases, represented clients in all 50 states, and argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Colleagues and peers have long recognized Nash as an innovator and mentor. Around the time he received his lifetime achievement award, Karen White, executive director of the Conference of Western Attorneys General, praised him for “forging his own legal path and creating a niche practice that didn’t exist before he saw it” and Lori Kalani, who co-chaired the State Attorneys General Practice with Nash, said she was “awestruck” upon first meeting him at an AG conference and witnessing the rapport he had with the AGs, his clients, and friends.  

 

Continuing a Legacy of Generosity 

Despite his national stature, Nash has never forgotten his Lower East Side roots—or the Law School that helped launch his career. 

“My scholarship at ӣ����Ƶ made all the difference,” Nash said. “It changed my life. I want today’s students to have that same opportunity—to stay in school, to finish strong, and to build the kind of career and life they imagine for themselves.” 

The Bernard Nash ’66 Scholarship for Excellence continues a legacy of generosity that spans decades and underscores ӣ����Ƶ’s mission to support every student’s path to success. 

“This transformative gift reflects Bernie Nash’s lifelong gratitude to ӣ����Ƶ and his deep commitment to helping future generations of students,” said Robert Fairfield, Chief Advancement Officer. “The Bernard Nash Scholarship for Excellence will change lives and strengthen our community for years to come.”