A year in London (and beyond!)
By Carlene Miller, 3L
I decided to apply to Notre Dame Law School – and ultimately accepted my admission offer – because of the Notre Dame London Law Program. I had spent two of my undergraduate summers in London, and I had never anticipated that I would be able to return to the city that I love during law school. The Notre Dame London Law Centre affords a unique and valuable experience that other law schools simply do not provide.
The London program is not just for students destined to become international lawyers. I came into the program knowing that I wanted to become a criminal public defender in the United States. My comparative and international law classes have provided me the opportunity to critically compare America’s criminal justice system with that of the United Kingdom and elsewhere. The highlight of my experience was my year-long internship at JD Spicer Zeb Solicitors, a criminal defense firm that has allowed me to work on criminal cases pending against the firm’s low-income clients.
Because of the London Program, my 2L year was my happiest and most enriching year of education in my life. Outside of my classes and internship, I have been able to become really engaged in London life while also traveling more than I ever have in my life. I traveled to 20 cities across 13 countries – from Dublin to Budapest.
Originally from upstate New York, Carlene Miller received her bachelor’s degree in ethics, politics and economics from Yale University in 2014. Following graduation in May 2017, Miller will be working at the New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender in Albuquerque. Miller is a founding member of the National Lawyers Guild of Notre Dame, a public interest association of lawyers, law students, jailhouse lawyers, and other legal activities. She is also a member of the Journal of College and University Law and an assistant rector in Flaherty Hall. During her summers, Miller served as an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps JD Member at the Orleans Public Defenders and the New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender.