Featured Faculty: Mark McKenna

This is an exciting time to be at Notre Dame Law School. The new Eck Hall of Law is finished and renovation of the old building has begun. The building will be the capstone of Dean O’Hara’s very successful ten year run as dean, during which the Law School attracted a number of new outstanding scholars to complement an already strong faculty. The new dean therefore stands to inherit a strong school with positive momentum and the resources to make the school even better.

This couldn’t be happening at a better time. Law schools are now actively seeking ways to distinguish themselves from one another in order to attract students and to test new ideas. Some are experimenting with their curriculum—adding new courses to the first year, entirely re-focusing the third year, and in at least one case, giving students the option of finishing in two years. Others are focusing on particular areas of law—health law, intellectual property, or environmental law. And these efforts are attracting attention.

Notre Dame has been ahead of this curve for some time. It has long pursued a model of legal education that aspires to excellence but emphasizes the human side of the law and values the full, integrated lives of its community members. It is a unique place, and one that is poised for even better things. I am excited to be a part of the school’s future.

For more information about Professor McKenna, visit his faculty profile page.