The University of Notre Dame, guided by its mission to be a force for good, is committed to striving for the relief, defense, and uplifting of those oppressed by poverty. The Notre Dame Law School advances this mission by educating a different kind of lawyer, one who is driven to advocate for and safeguard the dignity of all human lives, especially those mired in poverty. Law clinics are an essential means of bringing this mission to fruition. In addition to providing much-needed legal services to the community, Notre Dame Law School clinics offer experiential learning opportunities for students to gain firsthand experience in the basic skills of law practice. This real-world experience complements classroom instruction by enabling law students to put their academic training into practice while learning how to best serve poor and underrepresented clients.
The Notre Dame Law School currently operates several law clinics spread out in three separate locations. Because of their scattered locations, the law clinics are unable to effectively coordinate their services with each other. Furthermore, the size of the buildings currently housing the clinics leaves them unable to accommodate additional law students or clients with disabilities. Bringing the clinics together in a new state-of-the-art facility adjacent to campus will give local residents easier access to a wide array of legal services while expanding the number of law students able to take advantage of this exceptional learning opportunity.