Student Spotlight: Manish S. Antani '09
“This may sound surprising coming from an ethnic minority (Indian) and a religious minority (Hindu) who spent a few years before law school working in a major metropolitan area, but not a day goes by that I do not think about how lucky I am to have selected the University of Notre Dame Law School for my legal education. NDLS has prepared me extraordinarily well for my career, and I have made several lifelong friends during my three years here.
“I came to Notre Dame after serving as the legislative director of one of the leading ethnic lobbying groups in the United States. I was based in Washington, D.C., and regularly advised members of Congress and dignitaries from India on the intricacies of US-India relations. I also served on the executive committee of a leading chamber of commerce focusing on US-India commercial transactions with offices in Washington, D.C., and New Delhi. During my time with both organizations, I had the pleasure of leading delegations of American business and political leaders to India to meet with senior Indian business and political leaders.
“Notre Dame allowed me to continue my focus on international affairs better than any other law school in the country could. I participated in the Concannon Program of International Law in London, and took coursework in all of the emerging disciplines of international law including international business, international trade, and international arbitration. While in London, I was able to learn from top global practitioners in these areas, and attended events that gave me further insight into these fields. For example, I attended a conference on international shipping law at a leading shipping law firm in London, and was selected as a delegate to the Dow Jones / Wall Street Journal’s India Investment Summit in London, which was a gathering of business and political leaders from around the world discussing opportunities for global investment in India.
“The only law school in the country with a full-time program abroad is Notre Dame Law School. If you have an interest in international law, I strongly urge you to attend Notre Dame. My decision to attend Notre Dame and avail myself of the opportunities here have set me apart from my peers and made all the difference in my career.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Following graduation, Antani will practice law with Barnes & Thornburg, and will rejoin the executive committees of the U.S.-India Political Action Committee and the Alliance for U.S.-India Business.
