Notre Dame Law School

Few American universities match The University of Notre Dame's reputation and aura. Sometimes likened to the Harvard of Catholic America, the university boasts serious academics flavored by a deep commitment to its founding principles. Despite recent troubles, the Fighting Irish football team's mythology-from Knute Rockne to Rudy Ruettiger-has no parallel, and famous athletes like Joe Montana and Jerome Bettis contribute to one of the country's most rabid fan bases. Notre Dame Law School embraces this rich tradition with the mission to "Educate a Different Kind of Lawyer."

History

Established in 1869, Notre Dame Law School is one of the oldest law schools in the United States. The school's approach to legal education is informed and inspired by faith. Students are trained to view the law as a vocation in service to others, to explore the moral and ethical dimensions of the law, and to discover their unique roles in furthering the cause of justice. The school's Catholic tradition provides students with a strong foundation for their legal studies and careers. Notre Dame Law School is an excellent choice for students who want to pursue a law career focusing on service to others and the pursuit of justice.

Admissions

Notre Dame Law School applications on a rolling basis, meaning that applications may be reviewed for the first time soon after submission and that decisions may come in a matter of weeks or take several months. The school urges candidates to apply as early as possible, which is logical since more offers of admission (and scholarship money) will be available early in the "cycle."

Notre Dame Law School offers a Regular Decision application process for students. The application opens on September 1 and the deadline to apply is March 15. All supporting documents, such as letters of recommendation and standardized test scores, must be received by the school by March 25.

Statistics

Admissions Stats
Class of:	2020-2021	2021-2022
25th - 50th - 75th percentile LSAT	161 - 167 - 168	162 - 168 - 170
25th - 50th - 75th percentile GPA	3.34 - 3.75 - 3.88	3.52 - 3.77 - 3.85
Acceptance rate	20.3%	17.5%
Applications received	2811	2811
Acceptances	570	647
Matriculants	777	685

Approximately 27.51% of students offered admission to the University of Notre Dame School of Law attend the school. The median LSAT score for incoming students is 168, with a 25th percentile score of 162 and a 75th percentile score of 170. The median GPA for incoming students is 3.77, with a 25th percentile GPA of 3.52 and a 75th percentile GPA of 3.85.

Application Fee

The fee to apply to Notre Dame Law School is $75. This fee is non-refundable and can be paid by credit card, check, or money order. If paying by check or money order, make it payable to "Notre Dame Law School" and include the Certification Letter. Some applicants are eligible for a fee waiver, including those who serve in the military, AmeriCorps, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Peace Corps, or Teach for America. To learn more about obtaining a fee waiver, click here.

Application Form

Students should answer all questions on the application form. If a question does not apply to a student — or if the student would prefer not to answer an optional question — the student may indicate as such.

Personal Statements

The Admissions Committee at Notre Dame Law School places great importance on personal statements when making decisions. The statement should give the committee some insight into who the applicant is and why they are interested in pursuing a legal education and career. The most successful personal statements also usually provide additional information on the writer's personality, background, or professional interests that cannot be found elsewhere in the application.

It is very important that the personal statement is the applicant's original work and is written in their own words. It should be no longer than two double-spaced pages. The personal statement header must include the student's name and LSAC account number and be titled "NDLS Personal Statement." The personal statement must be submitted along with the rest of the application. For personal statements and application essays, check out the TLS Guide to Personal Statements.

Resume

When applying to Notre Dame Law School, your resume should highlight your educational, professional, leadership, and service experiences. You may also want to include any honors or awards you have received and any special skills you have. If relevant, you can also mention whether your previous experiences were full-time or part-time and how many hours per week or weeks per year they lasted. Although resumes have no page limit, it is typically one to two pages long.

Two Letters of Recommendation

The Admissions Committee requires two letters of recommendation as part of the application process. These letters should come from people who speak to the applicant's academic skills and personal qualities. It is preferred that at least one letter comes from a professor or instructor, but if the applicant has been out of school for a while, a letter from an employer or supervisor is also acceptable.

All letters of recommendation must be submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service as part of the Credential Assembly Service. The CAS report will not be released until all initial recommenders have submitted their letters. If additional letters are submitted later, LSAC will send another CAS report. For additional advice on obtaining letters of recommendation, click here.

Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

To apply to Notre Dame Law School, you must take the LSAT or the GRE. You will need to report all valid LSAT or GRE results from June 2018 up until the present day. It is not possible to withhold any score reports. The CAS report will send all LSAT score reports to Notre Dame Law School. If you have taken the GRE, you must send your score report directly to Notre Dame Law School via ETS. The DI Code for Notre Dame Law School is 4295. It is recommended that applicants take the LSAT or GRE within a year of applying to law school.

Transcripts

The Admissions Committee will look at your cumulative GPA and how your grades have been trending, what courses you have taken, your major(s), minor(s), and concentrations. Please note that LSAC will calculate your undergraduate GPA according to their regulations. The LSAC-calculated GPA will include all coursework completed towards your initial bachelor's degree. Applicants must submit all post-secondary transcripts to LSAC to be included in the CAS report.

Binding Early Decision

NDLS offers a binding Early Decision Program for applicants with a high degree of confidence that Notre Dame is the best law school for them. "ED" candidates must submit their applications by November 1^st, and go "complete" by November 10. The admissions committee guarantees a decision by December 15^th for anyone who meets these deadlines. Conventional wisdom holds that applying Early Decision gives a slight boost to on-the-border applications since it demonstrates a sincere interest in the school. This may be especially true at NDLS, with its strong commitment to guiding principles. However, no one should submit an ED application without serious thought since doing so amounts to a commitment to withdraw all other applications upon admission. Applying Early Decision may also reduce an applicant's chances at merit-based scholarships, so candidates with financial concerns (read: the vast majority of law school applicants) should consider debt loads before applying to the Early Decision Program. To read a TLS article about deciding between ED and RD (or Regular Decision), click here.

Transferring

Notre Dame Law School welcomes students from other law schools to attend as transfer or visiting students. Transfer students enter as second-year students and will spend two years at Notre Dame to complete their legal education. Visiting students may spend a semester or year at the Law School to pursue coursework that may not be available at their degree-granting institution. Notre Dame Law School offers a rolling admissions process, meaning students can apply throughout the year. However, there are some deadlines to keep in mind if you want to guarantee an interview. The application opens on February 1, and interviews begin in late April. If you want to guarantee an interview, you must apply by June 1. The final application deadline is June 16. Remember that the sooner you apply, the better your chances of being admitted. Notre Dame Law School is highly competitive, so make sure your application is as strong as possible. To read a fantastic article about transferring, click here.

Tuition and Financial Support

The University of Alabama School of Law provides an excellent legal education with top-notch faculty, great experiential learning opportunities, a strong Career Development Office, and a full alumni network membership. Notre Dame Law School is definitely worth the investment!

Yet, many students find Notre Dame Law School affordable, especially compared to similar institutions in large cities. Many students live well beneath the maximum amount the budget allows, partly because of South Bend’s relatively low cost of living. Housing costs are far below what they are in other markets and can be even easier to manage when sharing housing. If you're not sure about applying to law school or just beginning the application process, then please take the time to read some of the excellent pre-law articles found here.

Cost of Attendance

Notre Dame Law School Student Budget, 2022-23
Tuition	$35,716
Fees	$500
Room and Board	$10,350*
Books and Supplies	$1,750*
Personal Expenses	$6,710*
Transportation Expenses	$2,700*
Total	$87,446

The University of Alabama School of Law provides a world-class legal education to its students. To finance their education, most students rely on a combination of merit-based scholarships from the school to external scholarships, income from part-time employment, and savings. Additionally, many students take out loans – both private and federal – to help cover the cost of their education.

Scholarships

They award scholarships to admitted students based on their academic merit compared to other students in their class. Other factors that may be considered include leadership skills, community service, and other outstanding personal or professional accomplishments. To have the best chance at receiving a scholarship, potential students should submit their completed 1L application as soon as it opens on September 1.

Loans

Low and moderate-interest-rate loans are available for qualified students from government and private sources. The loan amount is based on the student's need as determined by the university and the overall cost of attendance. Federal loans generally have lower interest rates than private loans, but private loans may have higher (and often variable) rates. The NDLS Loan Repayment Assistance Program can help manage the repayment of educational debt.

Loan Repayment Assistance Program

For graduates who accept public interest employment and earn less than $70,000 per year, Notre Dame Law School will help meet their J.D. educational loan payments. Since the Loan Repayment Assistance Program's inception, every applicant has met the program's criteria and received funding.

Notre Dame Law School has a Loan Repayment Assistance Program to help J.D. graduates who want to pursue careers in the public interest or public service. The program is designed to ensure that these graduates can still afford to work in these fields, even though they may not be paid as much as other lawyers. The program forgives the loans of participants over time. Since the program started in 2001, it has given more than $3 million to graduates working in various public interest and public service positions.

Student Body

Notre Dame affiliates are famously loyal to the university, and NDLS students report high cohesion among classmates. The university is not so famous for its diversity. While the law school exhibits more variety along religious, ethnic, and political dimensions than does the undergraduate college, Catholics still make up a large portion of the law school. Still, the law school has made an effort to increase diversity in recent years, and minorities make up one-quarter of the most recent entering class.

With 36% students of color, this year’s 1L class is the most diverse in Notre Dame Law School history. In addition, the Class of 2025 has the highest median undergraduate GPA in ND Law history and tied a record for the highest median LSAT score.

The Class of 2025 profile is below. For information regarding the 1L class enrolled in 2021, please refer to the 2021 Standard 509 Information Report.

Religion and Politics

Some non-Catholics, atheists, and agnostics are apprehensive about attending the nation's most famously Catholic university. While the proportions of Catholic students and faculty have declined in recent decades, Notre Dame still stresses its religious roots and mission. Social politics in line with Catholic doctrine are also prominent. But according to NDLS students on TLS, non-Catholics need not fear being isolated or ostracized. One "Double Domer" (someone who attended Notre Dame for undergrad and law school)

who is "not religious at all" reports:

Religion doesn't play a role at all in the first year courses, except that some professors do the sign of the cross before class and there is a crucifix in every classroom ….I've been here for four years and I've never had a problem with the religious environment. I think it makes us distinctive, which I actually like despite the fact I've never really participated in it. I don't believe the religious aspect should be a huge part of the decision making process, unless it is positive for you.[vii]

Another student advises potential worriers:

For virtually all non-Catholics at Notre Dame. You let the 10-second prayer at the start of a few professors' class roll past. You won't even know when or where weekly mass is. You will never set foot in the chapel in the law school. You just live your life and accept that there might be people of faith taking their faith seriously around you.[viii]

Still another, addressing the political side of things, writes:

You'd be surprised at the range of views and events they have-a a month or so ago, they had LGBT awareness week at the law school with speakers all week, which was extremely well-attended, [including] a con law professor talking about gay marriage and the first openly gay judge in Illinois talking about his experiences (and openly criticizing the Catholic Church and its stance on homosexuality to boot). I've had one professor who prayed before one class, but it was a small seminar class, and the only class he prayed before was the last class of the semester, which he had at his house as a semi-Christmas party/discussion. Don't worry; some people think like you.[ix]

To be sure, Catholicism is a regular part of life at NDLS, and law school candidates who are particularly uncomfortable with public displays of religiosity may want to look elsewhere. But on the whole, non-Catholics should not write off Notre Dame if it is a good fit along most dimensions.

Academics

Curriculum

Notre Dame Law School's highly structured [[ https://www.lawcrossing.com/article/900017586/First-Year-Courses-in-Law-Schools/%7Cfirst-year program]] holds few surprises: 1Ls take Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Criminal Law in their first semesters, with Constitutional Law, Property, and Torts rounding out the traditional doctrinal classes in the second semester. 1Ls also take Legal Writing (two credits in the fall and one credit in the spring) and Legal Research (a one-hour Fall Semester class). Unlike many law schools, which fill the entirety of 1L year with mandatory classes, Notre Dame allows first-years to choose one elective from a list of approved courses. To take some of the pressure off of competing with more experienced students, grades from this first-year elective do not factor into journal consideration. Overall, 1Ls take 31 credit hours of the 90 required for graduation.

The second and third years at NDLS are markedly freer: Domers enjoy wide latitude to choose courses to complete the remaining 59 J.D. credits. However, every student must take Jurisprudence, a course focusing on legal ethics. The school also mandates completing an upper-level skills course and writing requirements. These policies represent a slight relaxation of degree requirements for the classes of 2012 and earlier, which had to take Federal Taxation and Business Associations.[x]

Notre Dame Law School issues letter grades on a traditional A (4.0) to F (0.0) scale and does not issue official class ranks. For the most recent entering class, Fall 1L GPAs averaged 3.226 (upper-division GPAs generally rise as students get more freedom to select their classes).[xi] According to one student on TLS, the first-year GPA median is usually lower than this, "generally around the 3.14 range." The same student states that a 3.6 GPA earns Dean's List honors, putting a student in the top 10% or so of the class.[xii]

Professors

In recent years, Notre Dame has tried to improve its law faculty, which had lagged behind many of the schools traditionally considered its peers. Although the school has floated around the mid-twenties since the U.S. News and World Report rankings began, Notre Dame's peer reputation metric has consistently trailed its overall ranking. Moreover, NDLS has never ranked in the top forty of any reputational or scholarly impact survey conducted by alternative rankings guru Brian Leiter.

Still, Notre Dame Law students highly regard their professors, especially the younger faculty. One TLS poster writes:

I have been impressed with the faculty and staff thus far. They are doing a fantastic job recruiting top-notch professors, including Stephen Smith who came to NDLS from UVA...The new Dean, Nell Newton [hired in 2009], is also really warm and seems to be positively impacting the school thus far.

Another gushes about newer hires:

Here's a quick rule of thumb: if the professor has come to NDLS in the last 12 years or so, they are almost guaranteed to be an outstanding young tenured or tenure-track prof. If they were there before that, then it's a complete crapshoot. NDLS has, I think, hands down, one of the best junior faculties in the country. [xiii]

According to Leiter, especially prominent NDLS faculty as measured by citations, include Margaret Brinig (Family Law), John Finnis (Law and Philosophy), and Nicole Stelle Garnett (Property).[xiv] Popular professors mentioned by Notre Dame students on TLS include Fernand Dutile and Jay Tidmarsh, both of whom studied at Notre Dame, and Mary Ellen O'Connell, who teaches Contracts as well as a variety of International Law courses.

Study Abroad

Unlike American law schools, Notre Dame runs a London Law Centre near historic Trafalgar Square, which includes the opportunity for European Students to earn an LL.M from an American School while studying in England as well as international experience for Notre Dame students. Over two-dozen students a year decide to spend their second years in England, taking traditional American law classes and courses focusing on comparative and international legal issues. Participants in the Second Year in London program can still work remotely on journals and participate in On-Campus Interviews before flying overseas. Living in London also presents opportunities to observe the British legal system and extern with British barristers and solicitors or with the London offices of American law firms. Tuition and fees are the same as in South Bend, although London's cost is much higher. The bottom 20% of the class is not eligible for the program.

Students who want to remain in the U.S. for all three academic years but want a taste of the London experience can spend a month in the Summer Law Program, which confers up to six credits and is open to students at other American law schools. Courses focus on international and comparative topics like European Union Law and Carriage of Goods by Sea.

Dual Degrees

Retaining much of the feel of its liberal arts college roots, Notre Dame does not have the depth of graduate programs of many similarly regarded universities. Still, NDLS students have several opportunities to earn dual degrees. Some choose a four-year J.D./M.B.A with the Mendoza College of Business, which is comparable in prestige to the law school and is especially strong in accounting. Others pursue a J.D./M.A. in English, which can be completed in seven semesters or three academic years, plus some summer classes. Although Notre Dame does not have an individual Engineering Masters program, law students with undergraduate backgrounds in engineering or computer science can earn a J.D./M.Eng. degree may be attractive to employers in intellectual property law or similar subfields.[xv] Prospective dual degree students should consider the extra cost and reduction in legal summer opportunities.

LL.M. and J.S.D. Offerings

NDLS confers three advanced degrees focused on international law. The LL.M. in International Human Rights Law, like most LL.M. programs, targets foreign-trained lawyers who want to study and possibly work in the U.S. The degree requires 24 credit hours, 10 of which are required classes like International Law and Accountability for Gross Human Rights Violations. Each LL.M. candidate must also write a 60-80 page thesis in the Spring semester. Most of these students live in the same apartment complex, and recent graduates can apply for funding to complete human rights-related internships. Tuition for the program is similar to that of J.D. students.

Notre Dame is the only American law school with a graduate program in a different country. The LL.M. in International and Comparative Law, based at Notre Dame's London Law Centre (described in more detail above), is aimed at European lawyers, especially those who want a grounding in common law systems. Tuition, commensurate with British instead of American graduate programs, is surprisingly affordable, at $12,050 plus an $815 library, fee-although potential students should also keep London's astronomical cost of living in mind.

NDLS also offers a small, research-based J.S.D. program for those who want to seriously pursue international human rights in academia. J.S.D. candidates must spend their first two years at Notre Dame taking classes and writing, but can finish their dissertations elsewhere, if they so choose. Funding covers tuition and living costs for the two years of required residency and is only available for one student per year.

Student Activities

Journals

The flagship journal at NDLS is the student-edited Notre Dame Law Review, which publishes five issues per year and has traditionally conferred a valuable resume bump to its editors. Members are selected on 1L grades or writing ability as demonstrated in a special competition; anecdotally, the cut-off for grading on is "about top 10-12 percent," while another says that the school tries to find a natural demarcation point and that "3.6 or so" is fairly secure. Some students earn their law review spots principally through "writing on."

Students can also gain editing experience on the Journal of Legislation, a public policy-oriented publication that regularly publishes student notes, the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy, which approaches legal and policy questions from a religious paradigm, and the "Notre Dame Journal of International and Comparative Law", which covers a wide range of international legal topics. Although its editorial board consists mostly of faculty and other professionals from across the country, the Journal of College and University Law utilizes a student staff that edits and contributes notes from time to time.

Clinical Education and Externships

Notre Dame's Legal Aid Clinic, which celebrates its 60^th anniversary in 2011, aims to provide legal services to needy clients in Northwest Indiana while developing students' legal skills and leadership potential. Participating students can work on misdemeanor criminal trials or disability benefits cases; they can also help protect disadvantaged consumers from predatory lending and fraud. Legal Aid Clinic students also advise on tenant rights, wills and trusts, and legal issues pertaining to mental health. The Clinic is open to upper-division students supervised by faculty members and receiving academic credit for their work.[xvii]

Notre Dame Law students can also gain valuable experience while earning credit under a range of externship programs. Some of these opportunities take place during the summer or other academic breaks, while others include classroom components and take place during the school year. These options range from assisting public defenders to working in intercollegiate athletics administration. A full list can be found here.

Moot Court

All NDLS students get a taste of Moot Court when they argue in the school's Moot Court Appellate Division during their first years; many continue to participate in a variety of moot court opportunities throughout law school. Second-year students who continue to participate in appellate arguments may earn the privilege of representing Notre Dame at national competitions and may also compete in the Moot Court Showcase Argument, which is sometimes presided over by a member of the Supreme Court. 2Ls and 3Ls are also eligible to compete in the Trial and International divisions, and could end up arguing at prestigious competitions like the National Trial Competition and Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.[xviii]

Student Organizations

In addition to activities like journals and Moot Court, Notre Dame Law students fill their time with membership in about 30 student organizations. Some of these organizations come as a bit of surprise for Notre Dame's law school (the Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Irish Law Society, and the St. Thomas More Society) while others attest to a surprising diversity of affiliations and interests (the ACLU, the Jewish Law Students Society). Other clubs, such as the Intellectual Property Law Society and the Business Law Forum, attest to career interests. A full list of organizations and information on the Student Bar Association, which governs a wide spectrum of student life, can be found on Notre Dame's website.

Facilities

Notre Dame Law School recently completed a dramatic expansion and renovation, giving the school 192,000 square feet of modern learning space. Brand-new Eck Hall now houses most classrooms and faculty offices and connects via a covered walkway and commons space to the original Biolchini Hall, which includes the Kresge Law Library, three classrooms, and several multi-purpose study and interview rooms. Biolchini Hall is also home to some administrative offices, career services, and journal offices, and the four-story library holds over 300,000 book volumes in addition to electronic and microfilm resources.

One Domer calls the $60 million renovation "absolutely phenomenal," gushing about a "state-of-the-art" building and mock courtroom that make for "truly one of the nicest facilities in the country."[xix] More information on Notre Dame Law's improved facilities, including video tours, is available here.

Employment Prospects

Notre Dame Law School graduates have a median salary of $165,000 if they enter the private sector. If they work in the public sector, they can expect to make $64,773 on average. The majority of Notre Dame Law School graduates (64.8%) go on to work for law firms, while 13.4% clerk for a judge and 6.1% go into public interest. Most Notre Dame Law School graduates (89.1%) pass the bar on their first try.

While gleaming facilities, exotic extracurricular activities, and interdisciplinary course offerings fill most pages in glossy admissions brochures, a J.D. is ultimately a professional degree, and job prospects at even well-respected schools have become an increasing concern during the recent years of economic uncertainty. The recession has reduced hiring by big, well-paying law firms at nearly every law school, and Notre Dame has not escaped. One current student notes that "Biglaw" firms have become more selective on grades:

Things are bad right now… The truth is, if you're aiming for Biglaw, Notre Dame is not as good of a place as it used to be. [In the past], the top third of the class could easily land big Chicago firms or at least big firms in secondary markets, but not anymore. Many firms don't even interview people below the top third of the class.

Another writes that all career paths are becoming more competitive, not just Biglaw:

Public interest is definitely becoming more of a focus, especially with the economy being so bad right now. Keep in mind that the downturn in OCI [On-Campus Interviews by law firms] trickles down to public interest and makes those jobs more difficult to get. A lot of public interest and government groups are getting a flood of resumes from people who can't find other jobs.

Still another Domer agrees that the employment situation is dire compared to boom times, but stresses that for those who start thinking about their desired career paths early, study hard, and "put in the work to pursue a job…Notre Dame is still a solid place to be."[xx]

Private Practice

One oft-cited data point for private sector employment is a "Go-To Schools" list published each year by www.nationallawjournal.com detailing the percentage of top law schools' graduating classes hired by National Legal Journal 250 firms. The "NLJ250" consists of the largest American law firms by a number of attorneys, so it is not a perfect measure of desirable firm employment: some prestigious, high-paying firms (such as litigation boutiques or many intellectual property-focused shops) are excluded, and many included firms may not pay the top "market" rate or may have extremely high associate turnover rates, demanding billing requirements, or other unsavory aspects. The percentages also do not account for self-selection out of private practice and do not count graduates headed to Article III clerkships, most of whom will presumably take large firm jobs after their clerkship years.

Judicial Clerkships

Notre Dame Law School has a strong track record of its graduates securing judicial clerkships. Each year, many Notre Dame Law graduates start their careers as law clerks to federal and state judges; others choose to clerk after some time practicing law. Clerkships provide an opportunity to learn about effective advocacy, sharpen legal reasoning and writing skills, gain exposure to a wide variety of legal practice areas, and – especially in the case of trial court clerkships – interact with local attorneys. These positions are prestigious and competitive, and landing a clerkship can open doors for a young attorney. Perhaps most importantly, clerking offers the opportunity to develop a lifelong mentoring relationship with a judge.

Notre Dame Law School attracts students from all over the United States, and our graduates secure clerkships across a broad swath of the country in federal, state, and local courts.

Members of the Law School's 2017-2021 classes secured 191 judicial clerkships, including three at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Clerkships obtained by 2017-2021 graduates	Number
U.S. Supreme Court	3
Federal Courts	150
State and Local Courts	39
Total	192

According to American Bar Association data, Notre Dame Law School has a 12% Federal Clerkship rate. This is 9% of our 2021 graduates. This is one of the highest rates in the nation. Notre Dame Law School has a long tradition of success in securing clerkships at the Supreme Court of the United States, with seven graduates achieving this distinction from 2013 to 2019. This places the school among the best in the nation for this highly competitive and prestigious opportunity. The University of Chicago Law Professor Brian Leiter's Law School Reports confirms Notre Dame's place as a top choice for students seeking to enter this field. The school's excellent reputation, ample resources, and passionate faculty all contribute to its continued success in preparing students for rewarding careers in the legal profession.

Government and Public Interest

Notre Dame Law School supports students pursuing careers in public interest law. The school offers courses, externships, and extracurricular activities to help students prepare for this type of work. In addition, the school has programs to ensure that financial concerns do not prevent students from entering careers in the nonprofit sector, government, policy advocacy, human rights, and other fields where lawyers make valuable contributions but are often paid lower salaries.

Quality of Life

Notre Dame is why people have heard of South Bend, Indiana, but the city and the greater region have much more to offer. South Bend is big enough to provide everything you need without a major metropolitan area's traffic and high costs. In fact, because of South Bend's relatively low cost of living, Notre Dame Law students can enjoy a very nice quality of life during their years here. And, when students do need a taste of a bigger city, Chicago is an easy destination for a day trip.

Housing

Several housing options, both on campus and off campus, are available to Notre Dame Law students. Visit the Notre Dame Office of Residential Life's website for more information.

• On-campus housing: The Fischer Graduate Residences are home to more than 400 graduate and professional students from across the United States and 45 countries. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to walk from these apartments to the Law School.

• Off-campus housing: Notre Dame's guide to off-campus living, offcampus.nd.edu, is available to help students make housing decisions.

Overlook at Notre Dame, located immediately east of campus and a 15- to 20-minute walk from the Law School, is a University-related development that was designed specifically for graduate and professional students.

• Hall staff: In a typical academic year, several dozen second and third-year Notre Dame Law students serve as assistant rectors in undergraduate residence halls. Assistant rectors receive compensation and free room and board while supplying additional layers of pastoral care for hall residents.

Synopsis

Notre Dame has an undeniable mystique, and its law school has a long tradition of academic excellence and integrity. A wide range of students grow to love the school, for or despite its Catholic roots. While no one should enter the school with the mindset that a six-figure job upon graduation is guaranteed, a solid national reputation and strong alumni network provide good long-term career prospects for most students, and many successful lawyers around the country are proud to call themselves "Domers."

Contact Information

Notre Dame Law School
Admissions Office
1329 Biolchini Hall of Law
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Phone: 574-631-6626
Fax: 574-631-5474
E-mail: lawadmit@nd.edu
https://law.nd.edu/admissions/connect/

Summary

Established	1869
Location	Notre Dame, IN
Dean	G. Marcus Cole
2022 US News Ranking	25th
LSAT Median Score	168
GPA Median Score	3.77
Bar Passage Rate	89% (2022)
Employment Rate	72% (2022)
Cost	$65,436
Average Debt	$121,755
Application Deadline	March 15, 2023

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Reference

https://law.nd.edu/
Rank #25
LSD Law
LSAC Guide
How to Learn to Do Well on a Law School Exam
Success in Law School - A Unique Perspective
The Guide to Law School Loans
Guide to Fee Waivers

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