Spring break takes ND Law students on educational journeys | News | The Law School

Each year, spring break offers Notre Dame Law School students and faculty a period for travel and relaxation. The mid-semester break also provides the opportunity for out-of-class experiences and learning opportunities. This year, members of the ND Law community traveled to Texas, Kentucky, and as far as Scotland and France.

Energy Law Class Trip to Scotland

ND Law students visit the fish ladder adjacent to Pitlochry Dam — *The Scotland group visit the fish ladder adjacent to Pitlochry Dam*

Professor Bruce Huber led a group of students in his Energy Law class overseas to Scotland. There, they met with experts in energy and environmental law at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow. The group also had opportunities to learn about the country’s transition to renewable energy, tour a hydropower facility, and discuss Scotland’s natural resource management policies.

“Not only did the experience provide a comparative perspective of energy policies in the U.S. and Scotland; it integrated concepts we learned in class with real-world applications,” said third-year student Sarafina Joseph. “Professor Huber's knowledge and passion for both the material and student engagement made the experience an unforgettable one and I feel blessed I was able to be a part of such an amazing group.”

Dr. Jill Robbie presenting her lecture on how land ownership affects Scotland’s carbon markets and other environmental concerns. — *Dr. Jill Robbie presented her lecture on how land ownership affects Scotland’s carbon markets and other environmental concerns.*

NBLSA National Convention

*ND Law Students Will Irvin and Jamal Wilson at the NBLSA Convention*

Student members of the Notre Dame Black Law Students Association traveled to Houston, Texas over the week-long break to attend the National Black Law Students Association’s 56th National Convention. Over 800 Black law and pre-law students gathered for the event, which included the annual gala, networking opportunities, and panel discussions. Notre Dame Law School alumna Sunny Hostin '94 J.D., co-host of The View, joined social activist and commentator Angela Rye for a fireside chat during the convention.

Students Jakim Aaron, Will Irvin, Jamal Wilson, and Luwam Gabreselassie attended the conference.

“My key takeaway from the NBLSA 56th National Convention was the realization of the extensive network and collective strength of our national BLSA chapters, which underscored our significant influence in the legal field and filled me with hope for impactful changes within the legal profession,” said third-year student and ND BLSA member Jamal Wilson.

Appalachia Externship with AppalReD Legal Aid

*ND Law Students Lauryn Sparger, Drew Garden, Justin Vickers, Pablo Martinez, and Molly Boyle with the AppleReD staff and other volunteers.*

Over the break, five second- and third-year students, Molly Boyle, Drew Garden, Pablo Martinez, Lauryn Sparger, and Justin Vickers participated in the Law School’s Appalachia Externship in Prestonsburg and Hazard, Kentucky. The students volunteered with AppalReD Legal Aid, assisting with pro bono legal work for clients at two clinics. The case matters at AppalReD legal clinics span from divorce and estate planning to Social Security disability and civil rights.

Religious Liberty Clinic Trip to France

*Emma Kate Lively, Andrew Olson, and Stephanie Barclay visit the Cathedral of Saint Julian of Le Mans.*

Faculty and student fellows from Notre Dame Law School’s Religious Liberty Clinic traveled to France to explore religious freedom issues in the country.

The delegation to France included Dean G. Marcus Cole, Joseph A. Matson Dean and Professor of Law; Professor Stephanie Barclay, faculty director, Notre Dame Law School's Religious Liberty Initiative; Kimberlie Orr, international legal fellow, Notre Dame Law School's Religious Liberty Clinic; and Religious Liberty Clinic student fellows Andrew Olson, Emma Kate Lively, Holly Fulbright, and Rohan Vaidya. Nury Turkel, former chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and Rachel Miner, founder and CEO of Bellwether International, also accompanied the group.

The ND Law France delegation enjoyed dinner with Bernard-Henri Lévy, a philosopher and commentator who is considered one of the founders of the Nouveaux Philosophes (New Philosophers) school of philosophy.

While in France the delegation met with several key stakeholders working in the intersection of law, policy, and culture, from government officials to civil society groups to leading public intellectuals. The delegation aimed to identify laws and policies in France that limit religious freedom and to understand the rise of Islamophobia and antisemitism, and its implications for international religious freedom.

“In seeking to learn more about the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia in France, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of France's conception of religious liberty and how that differs in very fundamental ways from the American concept of religious liberty,” said second-year student Rohan Vaidya. “Most crucially, I learned how important it is that, as advocates for religious freedom, we seek to truly understand the perspectives of those whom we wish to advocate for, rather than imposing our own preconceived notions of what religious liberty means.”