Notre Dame Law School

What Notre Dame Law School does

Notre Dame Law School, established in 1869, is the oldest Catholic law school in the United States and operates as an academic unit within the University of Notre Dame, a private nonprofit Catholic research university headquartered in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school delivers legal education through three degree pathways—a three-year Juris Doctor (J.D.) program, Master of Laws (LL.M.) tracks including a specialization in International Human Rights Law, and a Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D.) research degree—supplemented by dual-degree options (MBA, Master of Global Affairs, M.A. in English, ESTEEM, M.S. in Engineering, and select Ph.D. pairings). Total enrollment stands at 566 students across all programs, with a first-year J.D. cohort of 186 drawn from 117 undergraduate institutions; median incoming credentials are a 170 LSAT and a 3.89 undergraduate GPA.

The academic platform is anchored at the South Bend campus, where Biolchini Hall of Law, Eck Hall of Law, and the Kresge Law Library are linked through the Commons; a secondary instructional site is the Notre Dame London Global Gateway at Fischer Hall, which hosts the London Law Programme founded in 1968 and recognized as the only ABA-approved year-long overseas program from a U.S. law school. International exchange agreements extend the school's geographic reach to partner institutions in ten countries, including Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Switzerland, and South Africa. Supporting assets include six student-edited academic journals, the NDLScholarship digital repository, a Moot Court program, the Kresge Law Library (a Federal Depository Library Program participant since 1985), and clinical offerings such as the Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic and the Exoneration Justice Clinic.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition for the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. programs, with secondary income from continuing legal education and dual-degree cross-listing. Donor support funds a portfolio of named fellowships (Polking Family, Edward J. Murphy, Kopko Family, Thomas L. Shaffer Public Interest), the Dean's Initiative for Leadership and Scholarly Excellence, and endowed chairs. Operational continuity rests on regulatory standing—ABA accreditation since 1925 and AALS membership since 1924—which underwrites graduates' bar eligibility. A December 2025 partnership with Harvey AI extended third-party artificial-intelligence tooling for legal research and writing into student instruction. Career outcomes target placement across judiciary, private practice, public service, academia, and business; alumni milestones include six graduates who have clerked for sitting U.S. Supreme Court Justices.

Name

Notre Dame Law School

Legal name

Notre Dame Law School

Website

https://law.nd.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Notre Dame Law School, founded in 1869, is the oldest Catholic law school in the United States and a private nonprofit institution offering J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. programs to 566 students, with ABA-accredited instruction delivered from South Bend and London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

ABA-Accredited JD-Granting Law Schools (EDAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

LLM & Post-JD Graduate Law Programs (EDAHAIAC), SJD / JSD & Doctoral Law Programs (EDAHAIAD), Law & Legal Studies Research Universities (EDAHABAF)

Keywords

• Legal education
• Juris doctor program
• Law school degrees
• Graduate legal studies
• Clinical legal training

Headquarters

HQ city

Notre Dame

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. J.D. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition and fees for the Juris Doctor degree program. The school charges law school tuition for J.D. students, with scholarship support provided based on merit and need.
2. Graduate and Professional Services: Revenue from LL.M. programs, J.S.D. programs, and continuing legal education. Exchange programs and dual-degree programs generate additional tuition revenue.
3. Donations and Endowments: The law school receives significant support through named fellowships (Polking Family Fellowship, Edward J. Murphy Fellowship, Kopko Family Fellowship, Thomas L. Shaffer Public Interest Fellowship), scholarships, and general donations from alumni and donors supporting various programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Notre Dame Law School delivers higher education in law through its J.D. program, LL.M. degrees (including International Human Rights Law), and J.S.D. doctoral program. The school supplements classroom instruction with experiential learning, international study abroad (London Law Programme), academic journals, moot court, clinical programs, and career placement support for aspiring lawyers.

Product overview

Notre Dame Law School is a higher education institution offering a portfolio of law degree programs and student support services. The core academic products include the J.D. program (with dual degree options), LL.M. programs in International Human Rights Law and general LL.M. studies (available at South Bend and London campuses), and the J.S.D. doctoral program. Supporting programs include experiential learning (clinics, externships, skills courses, Galilee), international study via the London Law Programme and exchange programs, six academic journals, moot court, and the NDLScholarship digital repository. Student financial support products include recruitment scholarships, specialized fellowships (Polking Family, Edward J. Murphy, Kopko Family, Thomas L. Shaffer Public Interest), the Dean's Initiative for Leadership and Scholarly Excellence, LRAP for public interest graduates, Yellow Ribbon veteran benefits, loan programs, and employment assistance. The institution operates the Kresge Law Library and Religious Liberty Clinic as key resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• London Law Programme: Study abroad program in London, the oldest study-abroad program offered by a U.S. law school
• London Law Programme
• Global Lawyering Initiative
• Religious Liberty Clinic
• Kresge Law Library
• Exoneration Justice Clinic

Products and services

• J.D. Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Median LSAT score of 170 and median GPA of 3.89 for incoming class
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vanderbilt Law School: Private ABA-accredited law school of similar size with strong clerkship placement and comparable LSAT/GPA admissions medians; one of the closest peers by class size and selectivity.
• Emory University School of Law: Private ABA-accredited law school with similar enrollment profile, strong health-law specialty, and overlapping applicant demographics from top undergraduate institutions.
• Fordham Law School: Large private ABA-accredited law school in a major metropolitan market; comparable on selective admissions and New York bar/firm placement, providing a direct competitor for similar applicant segments.
• Northwestern Pritzker School of Law: Top-tier ABA-accredited private law school with comparable median LSAT/GPA admissions profile, similar focus on professional formation, and overlapping strong clerkship and biglaw placement outcomes.
• Boston College Law School: Catholic-affiliated ABA-accredited law school with comparable size and mission orientation; the most direct religious-identity peer to Notre Dame and a frequent comparator on admissions overlap.
• Cornell Law School: Ivy League private law school with comparable class size (~190 J.D.) and similar academic profile, offering a directly comparable benchmark on admissions, faculty ratio, and placement outcomes.
• Washington University in St. Louis School of Law: Private ABA-accredited law school with similar enrollment scale and a comparable balance of JD, LLM, and specialty programs; competes with Notre Dame for similarly profiled applicants in the Midwest.
• Duke University School of Law: Top-tier private ABA-accredited law school with similar admissions selectivity, interdisciplinary offerings, and emphasis on professional formation — directly comparable on applicant competition.
• Georgetown University Law Center: Largest and one of the most prestigious U.S. law schools; ABA-accredited J.D. program with a similarly large, selective applicant pool and similar law-firm/judicial placement outcomes. Directly comparable to Notre Dame in mission, scale aspirations, and applicant demographics.
• University of Virginia School of Law: Elite public law school with similar median LSAT admissions profile and strong federal clerkship pipeline; serves as a benchmark for Notre Dame's clerkship placement aspirations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ndlaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/notredame
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-notre-dame

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Notre Dame Law School