Joseph Reilly receives Lardy Scholarship Award for 2026-27

Joseph Reilly, a rising third-year student at Notre Dame Law School, has been selected to receive the Peter A.R. Lardy Scholarship Award for the 2026-27 academic year.

The Lardy Scholarship Award was established by the Notre Dame Law Class of 1975 to honor their beloved classmate Peter A.R. Lardy, who died of cancer during his third year of law school. The award is presented annually to a rising third-year Notre Dame Law student “who exemplifies his courage, love, and understanding toward his fellow man,” and includes substantial tuition assistance for the recipient’s third year of law school.

“It’s very humbling,” said Reilly on receiving the award. “Reading the description that the Class of 1975 wrote about Peter Lardy made me think, ‘What an incredible, kind person.’ The fact that my classmates, peers, and other people in the Law School community saw enough of that description reflected in their interactions with me was really a wonderful affirmation of how I’m trying to interact with the world around me and support my peers as we all struggle with this challenging endeavor.”

Each year, only one recipient is selected from several nominations submitted by members of the Law School community. “There are many deserving people that I was really pleased to see as nominees on the list,” Reilly added.

Reilly was repeatedly praised in nominations for his commitment to public service and his influence as a leader and mentor within the Law School community, particularly among first-year law students.

“Joseph Reilly is an excellent person who exemplifies all of the qualities of this scholarship,” wrote a recent graduate of the Law School. “He cares deeply about the student body and the community. His dedication to public service is commendable, and he embodies what being a ‘different kind of lawyer’ is.”

One student shared, “Joseph has a focus on public interest work and is one of the most sought-after resources for 1Ls who are interested in similar work and want assistance in the process of pursuing summer placements or are seeking general advice.”

Several statements of support from fellow students also spoke to Reilly’s deep commitment to his Catholic faith.

“Joseph's faith is apparent when interacting with him; he does not loudly proclaim his beliefs for all to hear, but instead embodies them through his actions in a way that words often fail to capture,” wrote one student. “While I may not be one of Joseph's closest friends, he is the first person I thought of when considering individuals that match Peter Lardy's qualities.”

“If the late Peter Lardy was a man of deep faith, friendly humor, and a kind heart, there is no one at our law school who fits that description more than Joseph Reilly,” said another student.

After growing up in Noblesville, Indiana, Reilly graduated from Wabash College in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. While at Wabash, he served as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, through which he learned the importance of building a community where people could find meaning in their work while also supporting one another. He then served as an AmeriCorps volunteer at Bethlehem Farm, a Catholic community in Alderson, West Virginia, that practices living sustainably and providing low-income home repair service to its local community. Reilly later worked as a legal assistant at the United Community Housing Coalition in Detroit, Michigan, a tenant defense non-profit organization.

His interest in law was further shaped by a talk at Wabash featuring the former director of Indiana Legal Services, which broadened his vision of what a legal career might look like. After working for a few years, Reilly chose to attend Notre Dame Law School, drawn in part by the supportive and collaborative culture he encountered during the admissions process.

“In talking to several students during the application process,” he said, “the sincerity they spoke about the cordiality of the student body was something intentionally focused on. It’s true that people are supportive of each other. Every student I spoke to said that there’s an atmosphere like, ‘We’re in this together, and we’re not competing with each other.’”

Reilly has helped cultivate that sense of cordiality at the Law School, where he has been deeply engaged as a student leader. This coming academic year, he will serve as president of the American Constitution Society (ACS) after previously serving as treasurer and 1L representative. He will also be a notes editor for the Notre Dame Journal on Emerging Technologies. This past year, he was secretary of the Public Interest Law Forum.

“He has been a leader in ACS and the public interest community since stepping onto campus last year, and he has worked hard this year to ensure that 1Ls can feel at home and included here, regardless of their background,” said one student. “Joseph is truly representative of all of the qualities of the Lardy Memorial Scholarship. He is a friend to all, works to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment, and has a heart for justice.”

His dedication to justice is demonstrated through the externships he has pursued, which have formed a core part of Reilly’s journey at Notre Dame Law School. He has pursued the Public Defender Externship with the St. Joseph County Public Defender Office, the Public Interest Externship with Indiana Legal Services, and the Appalachia Externship during spring break. For Reilly, completing the Public Interest Externship with Indiana Legal Services felt like a “full circle moment” after hearing the organization’s former director speak at Wabash.

Reilly has been generous in mentoring fellow law students and sharing his knowledge of public interest work and externships. “I genuinely feel that Joseph has been my best resource since arriving at Notre Dame Law School, and I know that he is deserving of this scholarship,” wrote one student. “After a brief conversation in the Commons during the first week of school, Joseph made sure to approach me seemingly whenever we were in close proximity. Resultingly, I felt abundantly comfortable in approaching him with questions regarding how to structure cover letters for public interest offices, what courses to sign up for, and how to approach externships and clinics.”

Another student noted Reilly's regular "Where I'll Be" e-mails, which invite classmates to activities ranging from Farmers Market visits to ice skating outings and help foster a sense of community among his law school class.

That same commitment to serving others has shaped the professional experiences he has pursued throughout law school. This summer, Reilly is working with the Legal Aid of Western Michigan as a summer law clerk. During his 1L summer, he worked as a judicial intern to the Honorable Terrence G. Berg in the Eastern District of Michigan.

As he prepares for his third year at Notre Dame Law School, Reilly continues to exemplify the compassion, humility, and service that define the Lardy Scholarship Award.

You can view a full list of past Lardy Scholarship Award recipients here.