The University of Houston received a $1 million gift from alumnus Danny M. Sheena, of Sheena Law Firm, to support construction of the new John M. O’Quinn Law Building.

In recognition of the gift, the planned moot courtroom and dividable classroom space will be named the Danny M. Sheena Courtroom; Danny M. Sheena Classroom; and Megan D. Sheena Classroom, named for Sheena’s daughter Megan, a current student at the University of Houston Law Center.

The courtroom will have 6,200-square feet of floor space with seating for 220 people and will provide a forum for peers, judges, lawyers, and practitioners to convene for legal and policy symposia, conferences, and social events. The courtroom and dividable classroom will include state-of-the-art technology and audio-visual systems for courtroom proceedings, lectures, broadcasts, and recordings.

“The existing UH Law Center was built over 50 years ago at a time when no computers or cellphones existed. I remember studying for my final exams in the underground study areas and thinking of the structural components that went into designing the Law Center,” said Sheena in a news release. “As a UH engineering and Law Center graduate, I am happy that I can be a part of the new UH Law Center state-of-the-art building that will continue to provide students with an excellent legal education.”

Nearly $25 million has been raised through private philanthropy to help fund the new building. Construction of the $93 million John M. O’Quinn Law Building will begin in the fall.

For more about the University of Houston Law Center, go to law.uh.edu.