Thomas Clare

clare

Education

  • J.D., Notre Dame Law School, summa cum laude, ‘95
  • B.A., University of Notre Dame, Government & Int’l Relations, cum laude, ‘92

Extracurricular Activities While at NDLS

  • Staff member, Notre Dame Law Review (1993-94)
  • Editor-in-Chief, Notre Dame Law Review (1994-95)
  • Winner, Farabaugh Prize for High Scholarship in Law (1995)

Post-graduation

Judicial Law Clerk to Honorable Kenneth F. Ripple,
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (1995-96)

Employment

Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Washington, D.C.

Insights Regarding My Area of Practice

  • At Kirkland & Ellis LLP, I get to work with some of the most talented trial lawyers in the country. The work is challenging—but has given me some amazing opportunities, including the opportunity to develop a defamation practice that lets me go “head-to-head” with some of the largest media companies in the world.

Volunteer/Pro Bono Work

  • Since 1996, I have served – on a pro bono basis – as the primary outside counsel to the Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, a Catholic independent preparatory school for young women in the ninth through twelfth grades. The School was founded in 1799 by the Sisters of the Visitation of Georgetown, a religious community of women who have devoted themselves to the twin apostolates of prayer and education.
  • As primary outside counsel, I provide a wide range of legal services for the School and the Monastery of Sisters who run the School. With the support of my partners and the associates at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, I have assisted the School and the Monastery in a wide variety of litigation, tax, regulatory, real estate, and transactional matters.

On Professional Opportunities:

“Notre Dame Law School has opened up so many professional opportunities for me. When I was a student, I was fortunate enough to take “Federal Courts” and “Conflicts” from Judge Kenneth Ripple (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit). After graduation, I had the privilege of serving as a law clerk for Judge Ripple—an opportunity and experience that has impacted the rest of my career. Similarly, when it came time to apply for a position at a law firm, I had an “instant connection” with the Notre Dame lawyers at the firms where I was interviewing. Alumni at other schools just don’t have the same degree of loyalty and connection with the students.”

On the Legal Community’s Perception of Notre Dame Lawyers:

“I am always proud to introduce myself as a graduate of Notre Dame Law School. From the long line of Notre Dame lawyers that have come before me, Judges and other lawyers have come to expect that “Notre Dame Lawyer” means “honesty,” “integrity,” and the “highest degree of professional competence.” That is the reputation that I try to live up to, and that is exactly what Notre Dame Law School prepares you for.”