Featured Faculty: Christine Venter
When asked how long she has been at Notre Dame, Prof. Christine Venter says with a smile, “Forever, I think.”
Venter came to ND Law nearly 15 years ago as a grad student pursuing her LL.M. and J.S.D. at the Center for Civil and Human Rights. She had earned her law degree in South Africa—Venter was raised in Zimbabwe—and went to work defending people accused of crimes against the government during the apartheid era. “In order to lawfully protest, people were required to get permission from the government, which protesters could never obtain because they were speaking out against apartheid, a government policy,” explains Venter. “So these people would resort to illegal protests and be arrested, and I would defend them. You can imagine I didn’t win very often.”
Venter says she didn’t want to raise her children in a society that practiced apartheid and was steeped in so much violence, so she and her husband moved to America. “When we left, I never thought it would be peaceful,” says Venter, who notes that South Africa has made incredible gains over the years, including the adoption of one of the world’s most progressive constitutions.
After a stint practicing international business law at a firm in California, she decided to go back to school. “The opportunity to study human rights at Notre Dame was something I could not pass up,” says Venter, who did pro bono work for Notre Dame’s Legal Aid Clinic while earning her J.S.D.
As a faculty member, Venter teaches Legal Writing I, Legal Research and Writing II, and coaches the International Moot Court team. “Students learn how to read and analyze the law, and how to communicate that knowledge in a brief or a memo to a partner,” explains Venter. “It’s so important to express yourself well orally and in writing, whether you want to be a trial lawyer or a patent attorney. There is no room for misunderstanding, because that just leads to more litigation.”
Venter also teaches Gender Issues and International Law. “We focus on the position of women in Africa and their situation in life, and then determine what the law can and cannot do to assist them.”
Venter says she finds a great deal of satisfaction in her career, because her students work “incredibly hard” and understand the value of strong legal communications skills. “After my course and their first summer job, they realize that preparation is everything!”
To learn more about Professor Venter, visit her faculty profile page.
