About the Law School
Document Type
Book
Publication Date
Fall 2007
Abstract
Notre Dame Law School is like no other:
I say this from experience as an alumna, professor, and Dean. I believe that the Law School's unique character comes not only from famous campus buildings or the immediate public recognition of our name, but also from faculty and students who collectively dedicate themselves to the highest ethical and moral standards in the pursuit of justice. Thus is born "a different kind of lawyer." At Notre Dame, we strive to be a place where students and faculty who are interested in the integration of faith and reason, whether they are Catholics or people of other faiths, can engage in open dialogue and undertake seminal research on moral issues and issues of social justice that will affect structures and systems needed to resolve the complex problems of the new millennium. We are committed to engaging in service that reaches out to the marginalized, while calling attention to the potential for lawyers to be agents of change in reforming social institutions. Notre Dame lawyers are taught by faculty dedicated to producing graduates who are extraordinarily competent, and who also possess a heightened sensitivity to moral and ethical questions and to issues of social justice. These professors are women and men committed to excellent teaching, as well as engaged in cutting-edge research in their respective disciplines. They are mentors during law school, and, ultimately, colleagues and life-long friends. Notre Dame lawyers understand that cooperation and collaboration are essential qualities in the practice of law. They learn the law in an environment that encourages competition with oneself, not with fellow students. The Law School is a tightly-knit and extremely supportive community in which students and faculty learn from each other and always strive for excellence. At Notre Dame Law School, you will be greeted warmly, challenged intellectually, treated collegially, and asked to work incredibly hard in a cooperative environment and community of faith. In the end, all these factors will contribute to making you "a different kind of lawyer." If these are qualities you seek in a legal education, then I look forward to greeting you in the fall at the start of your career at Notre Dame.
Patricia O'Hara
Recommended Citation
Notre Dame Law School, "University of Notre Dame, The Law School: Educating a Different Kind of Lawyer" (2007). About the Law School. 22.
https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/about_ndls/22