Raffaelli-Lineberger Fund Encourages Student Interest in Public Service

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John D. Raffaelli

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas alumnus John D. Raffaelli of Washington, D.C., has made a gift of $125,000 to create the Raffaelli-Lineberger Public Service Fund in the School of Law. His gift is a tribute to his family’s history of public service and will support Campaign Arkansas, the university’s $1.25 billion capital campaign to advance academic opportunity.

Raffaelli grew up in Texarkana and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from American University, a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Laws in taxation from New York University School of Law. He is the founding partner of Capitol Counsel LLC and has more than 30 years of experience in federal policy and policymaking, with an emphasis on taxation, finance, health care, international trade and general business matters.

“I’ve always enjoyed law, government and politics,” Raffaelli said. “When you’re in law school, you focus on learning the law. And while legislative law is what the laws should be, there’s nothing quite like experiencing firsthand how our nation’s laws are created and interpreted at the federal level. Taking those legal theories and seeing how they are applied in a practical setting can help a student fully understand and appreciate the value of their legal education.” 

The Raffaelli-Lineberger Public Service Fund will provide externship opportunities to J.D. and LL.M. students who show an interest in public service in the legislative, executive or judicial branches of government. It will allow students to accept jobs in sectors where they may not otherwise be paid for their work or where compensation is well below market rates. First preference will be given to students seeking work in the Washington, D.C., area.

“The University of Arkansas has tremendously talented students who have proven to the world that they can compete and succeed at the highest levels of public service,” Raffaelli said. “Washington, D.C., is an exciting, unique place that’s full of career opportunities, and I want to help ensure Arkansas’s pipeline to our nation’s capital stays open and vibrant for years to come. Our students should not have to forego exploring a career in public service in places like Washington simply because they lack financial resources. This fund will help remove some of those barriers so that our talented students – regardless of means – can receive the same exposure to public service I received when I was at their same stage in life.” 

“We are extremely grateful for alumni like John D. Raffaelli, whose own career was inspired by his work in public service, and this type of gift will have a lasting impact on our students for years to come,” said Stacy Leeds, University of Arkansas vice chancellor for economic development. Leeds, the former law school dean, worked with Raffaelli to realize his vision for this gift. “John’s life and career are a testament to the value of public service, and we are fortunate for ambassadors like him who feel strongly about the need to help create the very same opportunities he had for our students of today and tomorrow. This type of gift will help transform students’ lives and career aspirations.”

“The Lineberger-Raffaelli Public Service Fund is precisely the kind of program a land-grant university needs to offer its students so that they can explore their options and pursue their passions and interests,” said Margaret Sova McCabe, the school’s current dean. “We look forward to using this gift as a foundation for a robust public service initiative.”

Raffaelli chose to honor former Judge John Lineberger, who he says “led the way” in inspiring him and several of his family members to pursue law school at the University of Arkansas, and then later, careers in public service. Raffaelli also, in part, named the fund after Lineberger because his brother, Louis Raffaelli, was married to Mary Lou Lineberger, John Lineberger’s sister.    

“The Linebergers love the University of Arkansas and they value the virtues of giving back through public service,” Raffaelli said. “Their impact on our family is something I can never repay, so I felt strongly about honoring Johnny Lineberger’s example with this fund.” 

Raffaelli credited Lineberger for his own decision to pursue a law degree at the University of Arkansas and said Lineberger’s path helped spark his interest in public service as well.

“When Johnny went to law school at Arkansas, it opened our eyes and inspired many of us to pursue a law degree,” Raffaelli continued. “His chosen career in public service had a lasting influence on our own pursuits and was a big part of why I moved to Washington to pursue a path in public service.”

Raffaelli’s brother, Louis, was a district attorney in Texarkana, Texas; his sister, Reba, worked as an attorney for the Department of Justice and later as a senior staff attorney for the U.S. Congress; and cousin Idalee Raffaelli Hawkins was a federal magistrate.

John Lineberger, who also hails from Texarkana, was Washington County’s first public defender and spent 25 years as a judge. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Sam M. Walton College of Business and a Bachelor of Laws (now called Juris Doctor) from the School of Law.

Raffaelli serves on the School of Law Campaign Arkansas Committee and is a member of the University of Arkansas Chancellor’s Society.

About Campaign Arkansas: Campaign Arkansas is the ongoing capital campaign for the University of Arkansas to raise private gift support for the university’s academic mission and other key priorities. The campaign’s goal is to raise $1.25 billion to support academic and need-based scholarships, technology enhancements, new and renovated facilities, undergraduate, graduate and faculty research, study abroad opportunities and other innovative programs. The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in a wide spectrum of disciplines as it works to fulfill its public land-grant mission to serve Arkansas and beyond as a partner, resource and catalyst.

About University of Arkansas School of Law: The University of Arkansas School of Law prepares students for success through a challenging curriculum taught by nationally recognized faculty, unique service opportunities and a close-knit community that puts students first. With alumni in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, two territories and 20 countries, it has been ranked among the top 10 "Best Values in Legal Education" by the National Jurist magazine since 2013 and is among the top 48 public law schools, according to U.S. News and World Report.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.