The oldest Catholic law school in the country, the University of Notre Dame Law School incorporates ethics in the Catholic tradition into its law school program. The school specializes in international law and human rights law, operating the Concannon Program of International Law, a yearlong study abroad program through Notre Dame's London Law Center. Human rights law studies are run by the school's Center for Civil & Human Rights, which offers JSD and LLM degrees in international human rights. In 2009, Notre Dame completed renovations on the school's facilities, expanding the law school classrooms and library.

The school also has a reputable trial advocacy program, and courses tend to focus on nuts-and-bolts skills and litigation. There is no mandatory grading curve, which garners mixed reviews from students Vault surveyed: while some say it lessens competition for grades, others contend that professors' grading varies too much. The school also doesn't rank its students, further fostering a collegial atmosphere. The law students are a close,knit group; they take part in the larger campus social scene, which revolves around sports, particularly Notre Dame football and the law school bowling league.