Dave Nee Foundation

The Dave Nee Foundation was founded in 2006 by James Hyre, Wynne Kelly, and Andrew Sparkler following the 2005 suicide of David Dawes Nee II (1976-2005), then a third year law student, studying for the Bar exam at Fordham University. He graduated from Princeton University in 1998 and the Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor, Connecticut, in 1994. He was born in Hong Kong and died in New York City. The Dave Nee Foundation honors Mr. Nee's memory by combating the social stigma associated with depression and by seeking to prevent the loss of life through suicide, especially among young people and those in the legal profession. The Dave Nee Foundation's Board of Directors consists of his close friends and family, and its Advisory Board consists of leading mental health professionals. Since its founding, the Foundation has focused on the legal sector; raising awareness, providing information and resources about depression and suicide to law students and attorneys. We hope to change the culture of the legal profession, a field where many students and practitioners experience high rates of depression and suicide, by working closely and collaboratively with law school administrators, law firms and bar associations, we can create safe spaces for candid conversations about mental health and well-being.