Northwestern alumnus David Freedman (Medill ’81) has pledged $3 million to the Medill School of Journalism to support social justice reporting initiatives, according to a news release published Tuesday.

Freedman’s gift will establish the David F. Freedman Fund for Social Justice Reporting Initiatives, which will help the Medill Justice Project, international journalism residences and the Medill Equal Media Project.

Freedman, who serves on the Medill Justice Project’s board of advisers, retired as a partner from global law firm Baker & McKenzie in 2014. During his time as an undergraduate at Northwestern, Freedman served as a managing editor of The Daily.

“David has been a great friend and supporter of Medill for many years,” said Medill dean Brad Hamm in the news release. “We are proud to have this fund in his name and the support it will provide in social justice reporting.”

The fund will support research, conferences and curricula surrounding wrongful convictions, sexual orientation, globalization, gender identity and expression, according to the release.

A previous gift from Freedman in 2011 established the Medill Equal Media Project, which funds student journalism on LGBTQ issues. The David F. Freedman Fund for Social Justice Reporting Initiatives will also fund work-study programs for Medill students at The Daily, according to the news release.

Freedman said social justice pursuits are “an example of what Medill does best.”

“Medill trains journalists to raise issues, to uncover facts, to give voices to people who don’t otherwise have those voices and to bring about change by powerfully telling the stories of the people whose lives are affected,” he said in the release.

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