Notre Dame Law School in the Loop
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Notre Dame Law School in the Loop
August 22, 2013
Notre Dame, IN
Notre Dame Law in Chicago is moving into recently renovated quarters in the Loop in time for the beginning of the fall semester. The program, which allows Notre Dame Law students to spend a full semester living and learning in the city, is now headquartered in the historic 17-story building at 224 South Michigan, known to many Chicagoans as the Santa Fe building.
ND Law in Chicago’s new space features a conference room and 40-person classroom with a videoconferencing capability that will enable Chicago lawyers to teach courses as adjunct professors to NDLS students in South Bend or London as well as those in the Chicago program. Sharing the suite with the Law School will be Notre Dame’s Master of Science in Patent Law Program; the Engineering, Science, and Technology Entrepreneurship Master’s (ESTEEM) program; and the College of Arts & Letters.
Across the atrium from the Law School suite on the second floor is the Mendoza College of Business’s Executive Education program and the Chicago Office of ND’s University Relations, providing a strong presence for Notre Dame in a city that has long been a major market for students and destination for alumni.
“Students planning to practice in any major metropolitan area will gain invaluable experience in Chicago,” says Notre Dame Law School Dean Nell Jessup Newton. “Chicago, New York, D.C., and L.A. are often in the top 5 destinations for ND Law grads, but Chicago is almost always the top market for our graduates and the home to some of our most distinguished Notre Dame Lawyers.”
ND Law in Chicago students earn a full-semester’s credits by working four days each week in a non-profit agency, governmental law office, judicial chambers, or corporate counsel office, participating in a weekly classroom reflective course, and taking some additional courses.
Associate Dean for Experiential Programs Bob Jones designed the program and will be teaching its classroom component in Chicago. Prior to joining NDLS, Dean Jones developed deep connections to the Chicago legal community while working at Business and Professional People for the Public Interest, a Chicago-based public interest law and policy center.
Janet Laybold, Assistant Dean for Graduate and Strategic Initiatives, will be managing the program, developing new externship placements, and teaching a course in the Chicago facility. Previously Dean Laybold served as the associate dean in charge of admissions, students, and career services at Washington University Law School in St. Louis. A member of the Illinois Bar, Laybold will also serve as the Law School’s liaison to the Chicago bar, the ND Club of Chicago, and Notre Dame’s Chicago recruiting and hiring partners.
“In Janet Laybold, Notre Dame has found the perfect person to guide this and other innovative programs,” says Dean Newton.
For Laybold, returning to Chicago will be a return to her professional roots, which she began as director of admissions at DePaul Law School. During her time at Washington University Law School, she was the founding director of the New York City Regulatory and Business Externship, and served as a member of the dean’s senior leadership team and advisor on strategic planning and communications. She served on the Board of Trustees of the Law School Admissions Council from 2010-2013.
Contact:
To learn more about Notre Dame Law in Chicago, please contact:
Charles F. Williams
Dean’s Executive Administrator
2104 Eck Hall of Law
Notre Dame Law School
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 631-8861 – office
(574) 335-9624 – cell
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