Christine Venter

Director, Legal Writing Program

Office: 2191 Eck Hall of Law
Phone: 574-631-5216
Email: cventer@nd.edu
Staff Assistant: Mary Juckett
CV: View
SSRN: View

Christine Venter is the Director of the Legal Writing Program at Notre Dame Law School. She earned her B.A. degree from the University of Cape Town and her law degree from the University of Cape Town School of Law, where she was Editor in Chief of the Law Review. She also holds an LL.M in International Law and Human Rights (summa cum laude) from Notre Dame Law School and a J.S.D., also from Notre Dame Law School.

After graduation Venter worked as an associate for a South African firm specializing in civil rights litigation. After relocating to the US she worked for a firm specializing in international business law, and later did legal aid work in the US.

She is a member of the Legal Writing Institute, the Association of Legal Writing Directors, and is an Editor of The Journal of the Legal Writing Institute.

Venter teaches Legal Writing I, Legal Research and Writing II, and Gender Issues and International Law. She also teaches International Moot Court and serves as the coach to the International Moot Court team.

Courses Taught

LAW60705, Legal Writing I

LAW73320, Gender Issues in International Law

LAW75745, International Moot Court Advocacy

Scholarship

Articles

Eliminating Fear through recreating Community: The Role of the Gacaca Courts in Rwanda, 13 Texas Wesleyan L.R 577 (2007)

Analyze This: Using Taxonomies to "Scaffold" Students' Legal Thinking and Writing Skills, 57 Mercer L. Rev. 631 (2006)

The New South African Constitution: Facing the Challenges of Women's Rights and Cultural Rights in Post-Apartheid South Africa,21 J. Legis., 8 (1995)

Community, Culture and Tradition: Maintaining Male Dominance in Conservative Institutions, 12 J. LAW AND RELIGION 61, (1996).

Teaching Personal Responsibility, An Alternative approach to teaching Legal Ethics, 58 DUKE J. OF LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY 287 (1995)

Is there a Valid Role for Customary Law in post apartheid South Africa? Occasional Paper, Center for Civil and Human Rights, Notre Dame Law School (1992)

Books

FORGING A NEW AFRICAN JURISPRUDENCE: RULES OF RECOGNITION, CUSTOMARY LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA (Book manuscript under submission).

Areas of Expertise

• Gender Issues in International Law
• Human Rights in Africa
• Human Rights Law
• International Moot Court
• Legal Writing