ND Law Global Visiting Professors Bring International Expertise to the Classroom and Notre Dame Community
This semester, Notre Dame Law School welcomed eight global visiting professors from Germany, Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Kenya. The visiting professors enriched the Law School and the broader University community through their teaching, Lunch-and-Learn sessions, guest lectures in classes and events, and presentations of original research at workshops, symposia, and conferences. Their contributions fostered intellectual engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the exchange of diverse legal perspectives.
Read the highlights below to learn more about each of their impactful contributions and experiences during their time at Notre Dame Law School.
Professor Nicholas Aroney
Home Affiliation: TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Aroney taught the course Global Perspectives on Constituent Power. The course explored how constituent power is reflected in the text and structure of constitutions and how it is used as a principle of constitutional interpretation by the courts. The class examined the ways in which conceptions of constituent power are used to answer questions about the making and meaning of constitutions, the institutions and powers conferred by constitutions, and the means by which constitutions can be amended. He also led a Lunch-and-Learn session exploring the complex relationship between Christianity and constitutionalism, drawing from insights featured in his recently published book Christianity and Constitutionalism. In October, Aroney presented his research at an ad hoc faculty workshop organized by Professor Bruce Huber and at the 7th International Consortium for Law and Religion Studies Conference.
Professor Gregor Bachmann
Home Affiliation: Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
Bachmann taught the course Comparative Corporate Governance. The course aimed to provide an introduction to comparative corporate governance, including forays into bankruptcy and securities regulation. The class discussed a variety of "classics" and cutting-edge issues driving corporate and financial law today: stakeholder vs. shareholder value and participation of labor; corporate liability for human rights violations; corporate groups; Corporate Social Responsibility and Economic, Social, and Corporate Governance movements; and other related topics. In September, he also attended the Law and Economics Workshop taught by Professor Avishalom Tor.
Professor Felix Hanschmann
Home Affiliation: Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, Germany
Hanschmann taught the course Religious Freedom in Pluralistic Societies—German and European Perspectives. The course examined the foundations of religious constitutional law with reference to the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the German Constitutional Court. He also led the Lunch-and-Learn session “The Fundamental Right to Education: an opportunity for a fairer education system?” In this session, he discussed the German Federal Constitutional Court's 2021 decision recognizing a constitutional right to education and its implications for educational equity. He also explored the contrast with the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 decision in San Antonio School District v. Rodriguez, which denied such a right, and current debates in U.S. legal scholarship.
Professor Satvinder Juss
Notre Dame London Law Programme; Home Affiliation: Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
Juss led a Lunch-and-Learn session on his book, titled, The Execution of Bhagat Singh: Legal Heresies of the Raj. During the session, he explored the significance of India's Colonial Trials and their impact on the legal landscape of the British Empire. His book uncovers insights into the trial of one of India’s most iconic revolutionaries. In addition to leading the Lunch-and-Learn session, Juss conducted guest lectures in several human rights classes during his visit, including the Graduate Seminar taught by Jean Marc Brissau, Notre Dame Law School’s Global Human Rights Clinic led by Professor Diane Desierto, and Introduction to International Human Rights Law taught by Professor Francisco Urbina. He also spoke to prospective Notre Dame London Law Programme students at an information session hosted by Notre Dame Law School’s International Law Society.
Professor Antoinette K. Kankindi
Home Affiliation, Strathmore University Law School, Nairobi, Kenya
Kankindi taught the course Socio-Political Foundations of Law, offering an analysis of political and social institutions considered as foundations of law. The course briefly reviewed the anthropological basis of a human society and human law. It examined the common good as an organizing principle of a just society as well as a criterion to evaluate different political systems as they appear today. The course put into perspective today’s discourse on fundamental rights and duties of responsible citizens. Moreover, Kankindi led the Lunch-and-Learn session “Political Legitimacy in an Era of Corporate Control,” in which she explored the current legal developments in Africa. In particular, she delved into African states' struggles for political legitimacy in an era of market control by corporate powers.
Professor Sebastian Lewis
Notre Dame London Law Programme; Home Affiliation: Surrey Law School, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, England
Lewis organized a symposium on the philosophical foundations of legal precedent. The aim of the symposium was to discuss the book Philosophical Foundations of Precedent, an edited collection on the theory of precedent that addresses fundamental aspects of judicial powers, legal reasoning, and general jurisprudence more broadly. Participants had a chance to critically examine the book while also offering their own viewpoints on precedent, judicial powers, legal reasoning, and the nature of law, among several other related topics. The symposium featured insights from a number of speakers, including Professors Paul Miller, Sherif Girgis, Paolo Carozza, Randy Kozel, Samuel Bray, Jeff Pojanowski, Francisco Urbina, and Richard Garnett. He also spoke to prospective Notre Dame London Law Programme students at an information session hosted by Notre Dame Law School’s International Law Society.
Professor Colm McGrath
Notre Dame London Law Programme; Home Affiliation: Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
McGrath taught the course Comparing European Tort Law, which primarily explored the respective laws of tort found in England, Germany, and France. Students contrasted the national systems with two of the leading transnational draft codifications in modern European legal thought and considered the potential for harmonization. McGrath also conducted a series of reading sessions called a "Roman Law Mini Module.” These sessions gave students the chance to engage with Roman Law as it would have been in force throughout the height of the Roman Empire, to reflect on the role of law-making and legal thinking in developing any legal system, and to consider the substance of Roman Law in areas like contract, tort, and family law. In addition, McGrath spoke to prospective Notre Dame London Law Programme students at an information session hosted by Notre Dame Law School’s International Law Society.
Professor Maria Lucia Passador
Home Affiliation: Bocconi University, Milan, Italy
Passador taught the course International Corporate Law, exploring the main trends and challenges of international corporate law in the 21st century. The class focused on the impact of technology, globalization, and soft law on corporate governance. Both readings and class discussions aimed to provide students with a critical understanding of the sources, actors, and mechanisms of international corporate law. Adopting a comparative lens, the course placed particular emphasis on contrasting the EU and U.S. approaches, providing a holistic view of the international corporate law landscape. She also presented original research at a Notre Dame Law School faculty colloquium and attended Professor Tor's Law and Economics Workshop in September.
The significant contributions of Notre Dame Law School's eight global visiting professors enriched academic discourse and fostered a vibrant exchange of international legal perspectives. Through their teaching, research, and participation in various programs, they embodied the Law School's commitment to cultivating a global outlook essential to advancing the cause of justice. Their work underscores the importance of preparing lawyers who understand how legal issues transcend borders in today’s interconnected world.
Learn more about all of our global visiting professors here: https://law.nd.edu/academics/international-studies/visiting-scholars/