Meet Samantha Scheuler, 2L

Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, Samantha Scheuler earned her bachelor of arts in English language and literature from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2014. As a fellow for the Admissions Office, Scheuler will be present throughout both Admitted Student Weekends and other Admissions events.

I asked Samantha to reflect on her experiences at NDLS.

1. Why did you choose NDLS?
I chose NDLS during my own Admitted Students Weekend, almost two years ago. I have to admit, I wasn’t particularly excited to be spending my spring break visiting South Bend in the dead of March, but almost instantly after arriving at the law school I knew I was in a special place. It was special for reasons beyond the reasons that prompted me to apply to ND in the first place — the national name, incredible alumni base, impressive faculty. During the time I spent at the law school that weekend, every other minute I was struck by how special the community is. Before I visited Notre Dame I had this preconceived notion that law school was going to be a very individual, competitive, stressful, and rather dreadful three years. Simply put, my visit to NDLS opened my eyes to what my law school experience could be. As soon as I stepped foot in the building it became incredibly evident how genuinely kind and friendly everyone was here. I spoke to 1Ls, 2Ls and even 3Ls who were more than eager to introduce themselves to us prospective students. Throughout the weekend it was clear to me that everyone knew each other, and more importantly, people were friends. Even when I spoke with professors, I was blown away by their humility, their passion for teaching, and their obvious commitment to “educating a different kind of lawyer.”

2. How would you describe the community at NDLS?
Now that I am in my second year at NDLS, I can say for certain that all of these things about NDLS that impressed me during my Admitted Students Weekend are abundantly true. The community here really is different, and that can be seen at every level from the deans, to the faculty, the administrators, and among the students. At NDLS, not only do your professors want you to be successful, your classmates want you to succeed and you want to see them succeed as well. In my experience, ND was and is different than a lot of other law schools in this way, while still offering a high caliber and challenging legal education to its students.

3. How would you describe the faculty at NDLS? What has been your favorite class?
Coming into my 1L year, I didn’t know what to expect, but luckily I had my 1L classmates to navigate those first semesters with. I also met a lot of upperclassmen that were incredibly helpful right at the outset, particularly from my participation in various clubs including St. Thomas Moore Society, Women’s Legal Forum, Federalist Society and Health Law Society. Additionally, I had an incredible line-up of professors during my 1L year, several who had clerked on the U.S. Supreme Court and all of which really enjoyed teaching, and specifically teaching 1Ls.

My favorite class was my 1L torts class with Mark McKenna, associate dean for faculty research and development, during fall semester. He was challenging, but also incredibly engaging, and I learned more than I ever expected in that semester. He also provided pizza to us on a few occasions, which is always appreciated.

4. What type of law do you want to practice? What extracurricular activities do you/have you participated in at NDLS?
Going forward, I look to eventually practice health law, and the goal is to eventually serve as in-house counsel for a hospital. Last summer I was the summer legal intern for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Office of the General Counsel in Washington, D.C. This summer I will be working within the healthcare industry either in an Office of General Counsel or within the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. I am a member of Notre Dame’s Moot Court Trial Team and serve as a graduate fellow within the Law School’s Admissions Office.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience at NDLS, from the moment I first stepped foot on campus during my own Admitted Students Weekend. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about the Law School and I look forward to greeting you all when you visit us on campus!