Temple Law School working to name new chair for Nelson Diaz

File this under convenient timing:  The Temple University School of Law announced today an effort to name a new endowed law chair on Latino civil rights after Nelson Diaz, a Democratic candidate for mayor.

Diaz, a former Common Pleas judge, said he raised $250,000 in the last year for the chair.  Exelon Corp., where Diaz just resigned as a member of the board, yesterday donated another $450,000 in his name.

This all happened at Diaz's law firm, Dilworth Paxson, across the street from City Hall.  And it happened just before Jim Kenney, who resigned from City Council last week, formally declared himself in a City Hall event a candidate in the May 19 Democratic primary election for mayor.

Diaz said the timing of his event had nothing to do with Kenney's event.

"The money was just executed and sent out, because of my retirement last Monday, by Exelon," Diaz said. "And so I wanted to make sure that this was an opportunity to raise the balance of the money, which is another $800,000."

Diaz, a member of the Temple University Board of Trustees and Temple Law graduate, said the combined $700,000 raised so far gets Temple about halfway to the $1.5 million needed to endow the chair.   The school hopes another $2 million will be raised to endow scholarships in Diaz's name.

Diaz raised $87,825 in 2014 to run for mayor, according to campaign finance reports filed Monday.  Raising money for law school chairs does not involve campaign finance limitations, like political races in Philadelphia.