Notre Dame Law School

University of Notre Dame Law School
University of Notre Dame Law School
Established:	1869
Type:	Private
Dean:	Patricia A. O'Hara
Students:	525
Location:	Notre Dame, IN, USA
Website:	law.nd.edu

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The University of Notre Dame Law School, or NDLS, is the professional graduate law program of its parent institution, the University of Notre Dame. Established in 1869, NDLS is the oldest Roman Catholic law school in the United States. NDLS is ranked 23rd among the nation's "Top 100 Law Schools" by U.S. News & World Report. NDLS is also ranked tenth for career preparation in the Princeton Review's 2007 evaluation of 170 law schools, and it is ranked 18th overall by the Gourman Report, a publication of the Princeton Review. Moreover, NDLS outranks both Columbia and Harvard in the 2009 edition of the annual publication, Best 174 Law Schools. Notre Dame Law School is distinguished as having the nation's only year-long study-abroad program approved by the American Bar Association. The program, which takes place in London, also offers a summer session open to all law schools.

The Law School's national program is designed to equip students to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction. NDLS is unique among American law schools; in addition to its rigorous academic curriculum and small class size, its program encourages religious, moral, and ethical discussion and development among its students. This mission is reflected in the NDLS motto - "Educating a Different Kind of Lawyer” – lawyers who are dedicated to attaining the highest levels of professional competence while also examining their practice of law within the context of their responsibilities as members of the bar, as participants in an active faith community, and as citizens of the world community. Beyond the mere fundamentals of legal practice, the Notre Dame Law School works to sensitize students to the need to focus on justice and values.

Exterior of Notre Dame Law School

Admission to NDLS is highly selective, with only 18.6% of applicants earning acceptance. In 2008, NDLS received 3,319 applications for 179 seats. The class of 2011 at Notre Dame possesses a median LSAT of 166, and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.62. 99.4% of the graduating class of 2006 were employed 6 months after graduation, earning a median starting salary of $105,000 (including private practice, government, and public interest employment). Graduates obtained employment across 30 different states, with the highest placements in California, Illinois, Indiana, New York, and Washington D.C.

The Law School also offers a trial advocacy program that is regarded as being among the top 10 such programs in the nation. The Law School grants the professional Juris Doctor degree as well as the graduate Master of Laws and Doctor of Juridical Science degrees.

The Law School has a thriving Student Body Association that coordinates relations between the student body and administration. The SBA also handles most social, extracurricular, and athletic functions for the students. The current president of the SBA is Katherine Kirkpatrick.

A significant expansion of the Law School building began in Fall 2007. Construction on the new Eck Hall of Law has been completed. The Kresge Law Library, which is in the center of the current building, will be expanded to take up the building in its entirety, with classes held in the new section which will be constructed on the site of the old post office. The two buildings will effectively double the size of the current law school (without any corresponding increase in class size), and will be connected by a suspended walkway.