Law School Annual Fund

Founded in 1869, the Notre Dame Law School is the oldest Catholic law school in the U.S. Today the school is consistently ranked among the top-25 law schools nationally, renowned both for the quality of its student body and for its commitment to instilling in those students exceptional professional competence as well as a partisanship for justice and ethics.

Alumni, parents, and friends of the Notre Dame Law School can further this success by contributing to the Law School Annual Fund, which provides critical support for our most pressing needs—chief among them, student financial aid.

Donors who contribute $1,500 or more to the Law School in a calendar year qualify for membership in the Order of St. Thomas More.

The Law School Annual Fund is a key source of fellowship support.

With tuition and fees at $35,950 per year, our law students graduate with an average indebtedness of $80,000. Contributions to the Annual Fund help to make legal education more affordable for deserving students by providing monies for law fellowships and the loan repayment assistance fund.

Affordability is a foremost priority of the Notre Dame Law School—an institution grounded in Catholic intellectual traditions and values—as a considerable portion of our students will go on to pursue public-interest work. The rewards of such careers, though plentiful, are not always monetary.

That’s why your support of the Annual Fund is so important. Fellowships and loan assistance give our graduates the freedom to choose leadership roles in fields best-suited to their unique talents—whether in private practice, the corporate arena, government, or the public sector.

There are other, more “practical” reasons for supporting the Law School Annual Fund, too. The availability of fellowships helps to ensure that NDLS remains competitive among peer institutions in attracting the brightest students each year. And a stronger student body means a stronger law school—and, ultimately, the enhanced value of a Notre Dame degree for all of our alums.

Join the Order of St. Thomas More

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Matching Gifts Boost Your Contribution

Last year, the Notre Dame Law School received 94 matching gifts—totaling more than $125,000—from companies and firms that sponsor a matching gift program. Most participating companies or firms will match employee gifts dollar for dollar, and some will even double- or triple-match a gift.

To maximize the impact of your gift, check with your company or firm to find out about its matching gift policy.