Student Spotlight: Luzanne Otte '10
Notre Dame was the only law school to which I applied, based on the promise of a rigorous and balanced curriculum, faith community, dedication to service, and strong networking opportunities. Two years into my education, I can say everything about Notre Dame Law School has exceeded my expectations.
Prior to enrolling at Notre Dame, I had earned a graduate degree, sustained gainful employment and was fully engrossed in adulthood. I knew I would have to reorient my way of thinking to keep up with the steep learning curve. My reentry into academia was smooth, thanks to the collegiality afforded to me by administrators, faculty and the student body.
One of the most fortuitous moments in my Notre Dame Law School experience occurred when I opted to participate in the mentoring program. Through that program, two upper classmates acted as devoted counselors and immediately invested themselves in my law school success. Micah and Nicole introduced me to a diverse student body replete with ambition, enthusiasm, integrity, intelligence and invaluable study materials. Every member of the law school community actively sought to ease the burden of my first year, whether I’d requested help or not. This welcome reception set into motion my discovery of what Notre Dame meant by the statement, “educating a different kind of lawyer.”
An ordinary legal education will teach you the law and how to fulfill your professional responsibilities. What makes a Notre Dame education extraordinary is its investment in bettering the common good. The Catholic Church defines the common good as, “the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups, and their individual members, relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfillment” (Gaudium et Spes 26). Establishing the common good is not instantaneous; it requires the active participation of its members. Notre Dame Law School attracts students from a diversity of faiths who are committed to cultivating a flourishing community. Students are presented with innumerable opportunities to get involved: volunteer opportunities, attending lectures from world-renowned experts, academic guidance, alumni networking lunches, Spring bowling and the law school tailgate, just to name a few.
Notre Dame Law School has provided me with a forum in which I can contribute to the common good, a pursuit that has been immeasurably gratifying on a personal level. I’m eternally grateful to bear the mark of a “different kind of lawyer.”
