The University of Nebraska College of Law broke ground last week on a $4.5 million addition that will house its clinical programs. The 14,000-square-foot facility is slated to open in summer 2016 and will replace a too small, outdated clinic space.

“Over the past 15 years we've done a major renovation of our building, but we ran out of money before we could renovate the clinic area,” dean Susan Poser said. “It's hasn't been updated since the 1980s.”

Private donations are funding the expansion. An unsolicited $1 million gift from Esther Beynon in 2012 planted the seed for the projects. She is the daughter of 1919 Nebraska law alumnus Ira Beynon.