Memorials and Tributes

Hon. Daniel A. Manion, 1942–2024

Hon. Daniel A. Manion, 1942–2024

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The Honorable Daniel A. Manion ‘64, long-time supporter of both the University of Notre Dame and Notre Dame Law School and former Circuit Judge, died on August 31, 2024, at the age of 82.

Judge Manion was born in South Bend and attended Culver Military Academy. After high school he attended the University of Notre Dame, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in 1964. While at Notre Dame, he was a three-time Bengal Bouts champion and participant in the ROTC program. Judge Manion was also the recipient of the John C. Cavanaugh award, which, at the time, honored a student for their leadership and service in the Notre Dame ROTC program. Upon graduation, he was commissioned in the U.S. Army. He served as an officer and was deployed to Vietnam.

After completion of his service, Judge Manion was appointed as the Director of Industrial Development for the Indiana Department of Commerce and, while in this role, attended night classes to earn his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis (now Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law). He later worked for the Indiana Attorney General’s Office and served as a state senator. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he shifted his focus to private practice.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan nominated Manion to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Amid contentious Senate Judiciary hearings fueled by partisan divide, Father Ted Hesburgh wrote a strong endorsement letter, calling Manion “family.” After a second vote, he was appointed with a tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President George H. W. Bush. He served as an active and senior status judge until his retirement in 2022.

Over the course of his career, Judge Manion served as a mentor to about 70 law clerks. Among these are the Honorable Michael Brennan, Notre Dame alumnus and judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Court and Patrick Urda, Notre Dame alumnus and judge on the U. S. Tax Court. Judge Manion considered his clerks his greatest professional legacy.

The Honorable Kenneth F. Ripple said of Judge Manion, “The judge loved his work, but he also loved his colleagues. He made a special effort to know them well and to understand their perspectives on the law. Judicial work is intimate work; it requires that judges get into each other’s head. And Dan Manion took the time to know and understand his colleagues.”

Judge Ripple said there was always a special place in Judge Manion’s heart for the men and women who served as his law clerks, including many Notre Dame Law School graduates. “No Manion clerk ever completed his or her time at the Court without coming to a profound appreciation that a life in the law is a special vocation, not simply a job. Today, those law clerks serve the Country and the profession in many capacities and carry on the Judge’s legacy,” he said.

Elizabeth Kirk, J.D. ‘96, who clerked for Judge Manion from 2000-2002, said, “He expected from us the same hard work and intellectual rigor that he demanded of himself. But he also made clear, through his own example and through his advice and support, that the highest priorities were one’s duties to God and family. He was eminently kind, warm, practical, quick-witted, and humorous. He never ceased to be concerned for his clerks’ professional successes and personal happiness, and he took great pride in the community and camaraderie of the ‘Manion Law Clerks.”

Judge Manion was deeply committed to his Catholic faith and to his family. He married his wife, Ann, in 1984 and they had four children. They have also been devout supporters of the Women’s Care Center in South Bend, inspired by their passion to help mothers and babies in their community. Ann has served for many years as the volunteer president of the organization and has been instrumental in its growth and success.

Judge Manion’s family had long-standing connections to Notre Dame Law School. His father, Clarence Manion, was a professor at Notre Dame Law School and served as the Law School’s dean from 1941-1952. His father-in-law, Ed Murphy, was also a long-time faculty member of the Law School and taught Contracts. The Law School’s Murphy Fellowship is named in his honor.

Judge Manion is survived by his wife Ann (Murphy), his four children Mary Messner (Tom), Katherine Kelly (Joe), Patrick, Michael (Madelyn), and six grandchildren.

Notre Dame Law School extends its gratitude to Judge Manion for his dedication and service to the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame Law School, and to the country.

Previously published Oct. 17, 2024, Notre Dame Law School.

Read Manion's Life Story courtesy of the South Bend Tribune.

Publication Date

2024

Disciplines

Law

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Official Obituary from Kaniewski Funeral Homes, Inc.

Hon. Daniel A. Manion, 1942–2024

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