A Letter from Dean G. Marcus Cole

Dear Notre Dame Lawyers,

Welcome to the 2026 issue of Notre Dame Lawyer magazine! While we celebrate Notre Dame Lawyers each and every day, this special issue is dedicated to a celebration of Notre Dame Judges, and the relationship of Notre Dame Law School to the judiciary.

The three judges who grace the cover of this issue illustrate the importance of Notre Dame Law School as a starting point for some of the most influential judges in the world. Everyone is aware of our most illustrious alumna, United States Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. But Notre Dame has graduated many lawyers who have gone on to serve our nation and the world in the judiciary.

Among the most important are Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery. In this role, she serves as the highest judge on the most important business law court in the world, where over half of all publicly traded corporations fall within her court’s jurisdiction.

We are also proud to claim Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, and now the head of the “Madlanga Commission” of Inquiry, appointed to investigate political corruption in that country. These three courageous examples highlight the importance of ethical and competent leadership in our legal system, hallmarks of Notre Dame Lawyers everywhere.

Of course, there are many other “Notre Dame Judges” who provide similar examples of courage, competence, and integrity. The success of our alumni in the judiciary is a testament to the distinctive Catholic mission of Notre Dame Law School, with our emphasis on ethics, personal responsibility, selfless service to others, and sound fundamental legal training. Like all Notre Dame Lawyers, our Notre Dame Judges are the embodiment of the values that produce “A Different Kind of Lawyer.”

In recognition of our special role in preparing leaders, like judges, for our country and our world, I am delighted to share with you some of the exciting news about the ways in which we fulfill our responsibility to produce such leaders.

First, we continue to send record numbers of our graduates into top federal and state clerkship opportunities after graduation. In fact, over the past three years, nearly one-fourth of all Notre Dame Law School graduates have secured federal or state judicial clerkships. This astounding figure regularly places us third or fourth in the nation, behind only Yale, Stanford, and occasionally, the University of Chicago. Even Harvard, Columbia, and Virginia are looking up at us when it comes to federal judicial clerkships.

Second, we continue to lead the way in preparing law students to be “practice ready” on day one. Our pioneering partnership with Harvey AI, the nation’s preeminent AI platform for law practice, enables our students to be familiar with the ways in which Artificial Intelligence is currently used in law firms to aid document review, legal research, and case management. At the same time that we are training our students in the use of AI in law practice, we are limiting or eliminating its use in law school assessments, ensuring that our students acquire the irreplaceable legal skills fundamental to the elite practice of law.

We are also providing new ways for students to acquire and hone those fundamental legal skills. This fall, we have opened three new clinics—in Veterans Rights, Immigration Law, and Intellectual Property Law—bringing our clinical offerings to ten legal aid clinics. When combined with our Community Development Clinic, our Housing Clinic, and our world-leading Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic, which serves as our de facto Supreme Court Clinic, we have gone from 32 clinical seats for our students in 2019 to 104 in 2026. Rounded out by our Galilee Project, our “On the Front Lines” experience, and our externship program, Notre Dame Law School is now a national leader in “hands-on” experiential learning.

Our emphasis on fundamental lawyering skills and experiential learning is reinforced by our newly reconstructed Legal Writing program and faculty, which now consists of five, full-time Professors of Legal Writing. These incredible professionals bring a wealth of real practice experience and teaching excellence to our students, ensuring that they will indeed be “practice ready.”

Of all of our new developments, I am particularly proud of our Justice Amy Coney Barrett Moot Court Tournament. Now in its second year, and spearheaded by Professor Jacqueline Liedl, our new moot court tournament showcases our talented student advocates for the whole world to see, and demonstrates that competition can be civil, dignified, and uplifting.

While we thought you might enjoy learning of our many alumni among the ranks of the judiciary, it is important to remember that the world needs Notre Dame Lawyers in every area of law, from litigators to legislators, securities regulation to secured transactions, banking to bankruptcy, public interest to public service, and counselling to council members. Just as God has called us to this vocation, he has called us to all aspects of it. Every Notre Dame Lawyer provides a service to God’s Kingdom that only she or he is uniquely gifted to provide.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Notre Dame Lawyer and use it as an opportunity to stay connected with your law school. We rely upon our alumni, not just for financial support and wisdom, but also to serve as examples of what is possible for our students, our society, our country, and our world.

Yours in Note Dame,

G. Marcus Cole

The Joseph A. Matson Dean & Professor of Law