Class of 2026 Commencement Feature: Nate and Gloria Wertjes

Nate and Gloria Wertjes arrived at Notre Dame Law School not just as classmates, but as a team. The couple met through the John Jay Institute in Philadelphia in a program that combined a study of Christian theology and western civilization with rigorous debate, writing, and discussion. “We read a ton, we wrote a lot, and we argued endlessly,” Gloria said. “It prepared us for law school in many ways.” Their relationship grew and, in fact, “Most of our first dates were studying for the LSAT,” Nate said.

Nate and Gloria chose Notre Dame after a rainy February visit, moved by professors who cared about more than just their academic stats. “We met with three professors who each took at least an hour to talk with us,” Nate said. “It felt like they actually cared about our best interests.”

The couple married in 2022 and approached the law school application process together. Key to the process was submitting an addendum that explained their hope to attend the same school. Yet their paths to law school were distinct. Nate’s journey began at John Brown University in Arkansas, where he studied theology. After graduation, he returned to his home state of Washington to work at his father’s law firm as a paralegal. He then attended the John Jay Institute, met Gloria, and later took a position at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in Washington, D.C.

Gloria attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, earning degrees in economics and Arabic. Her time in college shaped her interest in energy and environmental law. During college, she took a gap year to study Arabic in Jordan and travel to resource-rich countries like Thailand and Myanmar, learning about global energy and environmental issues. After graduation, she earned a master’s in religion at Westminster Theological Seminary, where she explored the intersections of theology, political thought, and law, reinforcing her interest in pursuing a legal career.

At Notre Dame, Nate and Gloria balanced academic commitments with their personal lives. Nate served as executive articles editor for the Law Review and as a teaching assistant in contracts and constitutional law classes. “Helping students in those classes was one of the most rewarding parts of my experience,” he said. Gloria involved herself in mentorship programs within the Law School and with the Religious Liberty Clinic. “I wanted to do pro bono work for religiously persecuted people,” she said. “I’m so glad I got that experience here.”

They also prioritized life beyond the classroom. Active in their church community and intentional about protecting their time together, Nate and Gloria resisted the pressure to let school consume them. “We wanted to enjoy law school, not just get through it,” Nate said. “And we really have.”

Their law school experience also included an extraordinary personal milestone during their 3L year with the birth of their daughter, Geneva, born right in the middle of fall semester finals. “It was a huge shift,” Gloria said. “There are things outside of law school that are infinitely more important, and that changes your perspective.” Navigating exams with a newborn required a high level of discipline. “I had to be extremely efficient with the time I had,” Gloria said.

They credit the Notre Dame faculty for making their dual roles as students and parents possible. “We could not have done it if it was not for the professors,” Nate said. “They actually show through action that they want to help students succeed while balancing family life.” This support ranged from professors taking the time to catch Gloria up on coursework to others offering to bring meals to the family or simply to hold the baby.

Following graduation, Nate and Gloria will clerk for Judge Lawrence VanDyke on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Nate will then complete a second clerkship for Judge John Bush on the Sixth Circuit before they plan to eventually return to the Pacific Northwest.

Being a “different kind of lawyer” means more than professional achievement to Nate and Gloria. “It’s about managing all these competing desires and faithfully following the vocations God has given us,” Nate said. “Notre Dame uniquely equips you to do that,” Gloria added. They emphasized that law school need not come at the expense of family or personal calling, and that integrating vocation, marriage, and parenting into a legal career is not only possible but deeply rewarding.

For the Wertjeses, law school has been a place to grow as individuals, as future lawyers, and as a family. Through challenges, mentorship, and the joy of raising Geneva through her first few months on campus, they’ve embraced a holistic vision of what it means to be a “different kind of lawyer.”