For Employers
Thank you for your interest in Notre Dame Law School students and graduates.
Notre Dame is consistently ranked among the nation's finest law schools, and Notre Dame Lawyers practice in all 50 states and internationally. Our graduates are engaged in private practice at law firms large and small, as prosecutors and public defenders, in other branches of government and public service, in business, and in a wide variety of other capacities. We are confident that you will be pleased with the skills and work ethic that Notre Dame Law School graduates provide.
Please use the links on this page to explore the many ways you can interact with our students and graduates. We encourage you to contact Heidi Baguer, Recruiting Program Manager, at 574-631-7398 or via email at hbaguer@nd.edu to discuss your recruiting needs.
- Interviews
- Post a Job/Collect Resume
- About NDLS Students
- Connect with Student Groups
- Visit Notre Dame
- Programming & Events
- Policies
Interviews
On-Campus Interviews
We invite you to participate in our on-campus interviews and see why Notre Dame students excel in their legal training and stand out with their leadership and service. Each fall, employers have the opportunity to conduct on-campus interviews with second- and third-year students interested in serving as summer associates or in entry-level positions. In the spring, this program is expanded to include first-year students interested in summer associate or internship positions.
OCI Summer/Fall 2024 Recruiting Schedule
If you have any questions or would like to discuss recruiting options, please contact Heidi Baguer.
Why recruit at Notre Dame Law School?
Of course, our talented students are worth the trip. But in addition, we make visiting as easy as possible.
- We create custom schedules for every employer, every time. We are happy to accommodate specific start and end times or necessary breaks throughout the day.
- We afford 100% pre-selection of candidates for the interview schedule.
- We allow virtual and in-person interviews.
- All in-person interviews take place at the beautiful law school right in the heart of University of Notre Dame's campus.
Need more convincing? To discuss OCI or other recruiting options, please contact Heidi Baguer, Recruiting Program Manager, at 574-631-7398 or via email at hbaguer@nd.edu
Timing of Offers/Decisions and Recruitment Activities
We do not impose specific policies relating to the timing of offers and decisions or the timing of recruitment activities. We trust our recruiting partners to conduct their efforts in a professional manner that both addresses their business needs and is fair to our students.
In-person and Virtual Interviews
We are happy to help you conduct either in-person or virtual interviews. These interviews can be part of a structured interview program, after a resume collection or any other time you are interested in meeting our students. Email Heidi Baguer to start the conversation.
Dallas Off-Campus Interview Program
Pre-Screening
Employers may pre-screen candidates and select individuals to fill 100% of their schedule. There is no minimum number of slots to fill. We customize every schedule every time and are happy to accommodate any employer preferences.
Notre Dame Law School does not rank its students and maintains a very rigorous grading system. Employers are strongly encouraged to acquaint themselves with the Law School’s grading policy prior to specifying any hiring criteria. We are happy to answer any questions relating to the policy.
Recruiting Fees – Supporting Public Interest Work
There are no fees attached to recruiting at Notre Dame. We do, however, ask that private employers participating in our recruiting programs consider a voluntary $500 donation to our summer stipend program. 100 percent of employer gifts are used to fund this program, which provides stipends to those students who have accepted unpaid summer internships with public interest employers. Each summer, this program supports legal services to those most in need of the energy, dedication, and talent of Notre Dame Law School students. Additionally, a full 100 percent of this donation is tax-deductible. When participants register for our recruiting programs, they receive additional information about this voluntary gift.
Post a Job/Collect Resumes
We would be happy to collect resumes from our talented students and/or alumni to assist in your recruiting efforts. You are welcome to request a resume collection at any time of year. There is no charge for this service.
- For 2L summer positions and 3L entry-level positions, our “fall” resume collections take place beginning June 15 each year. By activating the postings on a set date, we allow our students to plan their summer job search and employer outreach most effectively. Any posting requests for such positions received after June 15 will simply be activated upon receipt.
- You are welcome to determine how long you would like the collection period to last and via what method you would like to receive our students’ materials.
To publicize your opportunity to our students and/or alumni, you may enter the posting directly into our recruiting platform (IrishLink).
If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact the Career Development Office at 574-631-7542 or lawjobs@nd.edu.
We look forward to working with you!
Programming & Events
Presentations & Programming
We invite and encourage employers of all types to participate in the programming here at Notre Dame Law School. Students greatly benefit from the real-world experience of practitioners and professionals, which can be challenging to accurately capture in the classroom. If you have an idea for a program you would like to present or sponsor, or if you would like to see what programming opportunities have already been developed by our office, please contact us at lawjobs@nd.edu. We look forward to hearing from you.
Receptions
On April 4, 2023, Notre Dame Law School hosted its annual Meet the Employers cocktail reception on the Notre Dame Campus for its Class of 2024. More than 35 firms attended with offices in more than 175 cities in nearly 40 states across the country.
Employer Hosted Events
Employers are invited to host receptions and social events throughout the year to meet and interact with our talented students. Whether it is an informal lunch, cocktail reception or formal dinner, we welcome you! If you wish to schedule an event, please contact Heidi Baguer. We are more than happy to help you with your plans.
Policies
Grading Policy
Notre Dame Law School’s system judges its students against a high Notre Dame standard rather than against student performance at other institutions. Grades are issued based on the following scale:
- A: 4.000
- A-: 3.667
- B+: 3.333
- B: 3.000
- B-: 2.667
- C+: 2.333
- C: 2.000
- C-: 1.667
- D: 1.000
- F: 0.000
Notre Dame Law School does not rank students. The University computes law school means for grade point averages, and those are provided below for your information.
| Class of 2024 | Class of 2025 | Class of 2026 | |
| 2021-22 Fall | 3.312 | ||
| 2021-22 Spring | 3.325 | ||
| 2022-23 Fall | 3.347 | 3.273 | |
| 2022-23 Spring | 3.456 | 3.292 | |
| 2023-24 Fall | 3.557 | 3.452 | 3.312 |
| Cumulative | 3.419 | 3.352 | 3.312 |
*Class Averages were not calculated for the Spring 2020 semester due to grading mode changes for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grades for law students shall comply with the following means and distributions:
The law school implemented a grade normalization policy beginning in 2011-12, with mandatory mean and distribution ranges. Law student grades are based on the following means and distributions:
1L Courses (except for 1L elective, which is graded as an upper‐level course, and Legal Writing (I & II))
Mean: 3.25 to 3.30
Distribution: A 8‐14%; A‐ 15‐25%; B+ 25‐35%; B 25‐35%; B‐ 7‐13%; <C+ 0‐10%
1L Legal Writing (I & II)
Mean: 3.15 to 3.45
Distribution: none
*Note: Prior to 2015-16, 1L Legal Writing courses were subject to the same mean and distribution as all other 1L courses.
Large Upper‐Level Courses ( ≥ 25 students)
Mean: 3.25 to 3.35
Distribution: A 8‐18%; A‐ 15‐25%; B+ 20‐35%; B 20‐35%; B‐ 5‐15%; <C+ 0‐10%
Paper-Based* Small Upper-Level Courses (10 to 24 students)
Mean: 3.15 to 3.60
Distribution: none
*Note: A “paper-based” course is one in which the primary means of evaluating all students in the course is one or more papers, as opposed to an exam or other means of evaluation. Prior to 2015-16, such courses were subject to the same mean and distribution as all other small upper-level courses.
Other Small Upper‐Level Courses (10 to 24 students)
Mean: 3.15 to 3.45
Distribution: none
For upper‐level courses with fewer than 10 students, there is no formal grading policy.
Previous Grading Practices
The policy above has been in place since 2011-12, except for the changes in 2015-16 as noted. Prior to the introduction of the 2011 grading normalization policy, the median grade point average for first-year classes was approximately 3.1 each year. There was no grading curve, and the grading scale listed above was in place.
Beginning in the Fall of 1995, the grade of U was assigned a numeric value of 0.000. This assignment is currently still in place.
Effective in the Fall of 1988, the grading system was changed to the following: A (4.000), A- (3.667), B+ (3.333), B (3.000), B- (2.667), C+ (2.333), C (2.000), C- (1.667), D (1.000), and F (0.000). As noted above, this grading scale is the one currently in place.
Effective in the Fall of 1986, the grading system was changed to the following: A (4.0), A- (3.67), B+ (3.33), B (3.0), B- (2.67), C+ (2.33), C (2.0), C- (1.67, D (1.0), F (0.0).
Beginning with students admitted for the 1981-1982 academic year, the grading system was changed to the following: A (4.0), A- (3.67), B+ (3.25), B (3.0), B- (2.75), C+ (2.25), C (2.0), C- (1.75), D (1.0), F (0.0).
Beginning with students admitted for the 1972-73 academic year, the grading system was changed to the following: A, B, C, D and F with no numeric equivalences.
Beginning with the 1969-70 academic year, the Law School discontinued averages, class ranks, and the comprehensive examination. The grading system for courses was converted to Honors (H), High Pass (HP), Pass (P), and Fail (F). Where courses were taken overseas, the appropriate grade legends are explained in the semester data.
Prior to 1969-70 the passing grade in all courses as well as the then existing comprehensive examination was 70%. In computing the course average, the courses were weighted by credit hour. This weighted average and the comprehensive examination grade were then added together and divided by two to determine the semester average. The cumulative average was determined by adding the semester averages and dividing by the number of semesters.
American Bar Association/Association of American Law Schools Principles of Equal Opportunity
In accordance with the requirements of the American Bar Association and the American Association of Law Schools, Notre Dame Law School requires all employers to whom we provide assistance and facilities for interviewing and other placement services to observe the principles of non-discrimination and equality of opportunity on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, or military status in regard to hiring, promotion, retention, and conditions of employment.