The First Bench: Early Notre Dame Lawyers in the Judiciary

Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C. chats with five judges, Roger J. Kiley, Charles S. Desmond, Hugh C. Boyle, William B. Lawless, and Walter V. Schaefer, at a Notre Dame Law School Advisory Council meeting. All six men are smiling in this black and white photo.

John J. Ney (LL.B. 1874)

  • First known Notre Dame Law graduate to serve as a judge
  • Appointed to Iowa’s Tenth Judicial District in 1884
  • Earlier, served as Mayor of Independence, Iowa (1878)
  • Remembered in his Notre Dame Alumnus obituary as an “excellent lawyer and active citizen” whose public service reflected the young Law School’s mission
Sepia-toned portrait of a man with a beard, mustache, and dark hair. He looks directly forward, wearing a dark jacket and a striped bow tie.

Timothy Edward Howard (LL.B. 1873)

  • Justice, Indiana Supreme Court (1893–1899)
  • The first ND Law graduate to serve on a state supreme court
  • Awarded Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal (1898) for service to law and education
  • Longtime professor at Notre Dame, taught English, history, and law
Halftone portrait of a smiling man with light-colored hair, neatly combed back, wearing a dark suit jacket and a patterned bow tie, looking directly at the viewer.

John W. Eggeman (LL.B. 1900)

  • Judge, Allen County Circuit Court (Fort Wayne, Indiana), 1912–1918
  • Among the first ND Law alumni on an Indiana trial bench
Black and white portrait of a man with short dark hair, wearing a suit and tie, looking forward with a serious expression.

John F. O’Connell (LL.B. 1913)

  • Judge, Chicago Municipal Court
  • Noted in 1932 as the youngest judge on the Chicago Municipal Court bench
  • Served as national director of the Notre Dame Alumni Association
Sepia-toned headshot of a man with neatly combed dark hair and a mustache. He wears a suit, white shirt, and patterned tie, looking to the side with a neutral expression.

Harold P. Burke (LL.B. 1916)

  • First ND Law graduate appointed to the federal bench
  • Nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
  • Served as chief judge (1955–1967) and senior judge (1967–1981)—one of the longest-serving federal judges in U.S. history (44 years)
Black and white headshot of a man with light, receding hair, looking directly forward with a neutral expression. He wears a suit jacket, white shirt, and dark tie.

Clifford P. O’Sullivan (LL.B. 1920)

  • First ND Law alumnus to serve on a federal appellate court
  • Elevated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1960 to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • Previously served as U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan
Young man wearing a black graduation cap and gown looks forward with a neutral expression.

Roger J. Kiley (LL.B. 1923)

  • Appointed by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the first ND Law alumnus appointed directly to a federal appellate court
  • Former All-American football player under Knute Rockne, and a Chicago alderman
Grayscale headshot of a man with short, dark, wavy hair, wearing a dark suit jacket, white shirt, and dark tie, looking directly at the viewer with a slight, friendly smile.

Luther Merritt “Mike” Swygert (LL.B. 1927)

  • Appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943 to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
  • Later elevated by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • Known as a progressive judicial voice, emphasizing civil liberties and procedural fairness
Young man wearing a black academic cap, dark suit, white collared shirt, and dark tie, looking directly forward with a neutral expression. Black and white halftone portrait.

William Blakely Jones (LL.B. 1931)

  • Appointed by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where he later served as chief judge (1975–1977)
  • Earlier career in private practice in Montana and with the U.S. Department of Justice
William B. Jones '28 (center) in a dark suit converses with Senator Mike Mansfield (left) and Senator Lee Metcalf (right), also in dark suits, during hearings on Jones' judicial appointment.
Justice Roger J. Kiley, smiling in a dark suit, holds a certificate. Father Cavanaugh, in a dark suit and bow tie, smiles as he presents the award.
A man in a dark suit stands, facing away, in a formal wood-paneled courtroom. On the left, a robed judge sits at an ornate wooden bench, observing. An easel with a chart and a pointer stick is centered. A woman watches from a table on the right.
Notre Dame Law School - Moot Court in South Bend Federal Court with Judge Luther Swygert, 1969

Photos courtesy Notre Dame Archives
Information included on this page is based on the best data available from Notre Dame Archives and public sources. The Law School cannot guarantee absolute accuracy.