Patty O’Hara Fellowship Announced

This month, Patty O’Hara '74 steps down from her 10-year tenure as the dean of the Notre Dame Law School. To commemorate her transformative leadership, the Law School Advisory Council has established an endowed fellowship in her honor—a most fitting tribute, as it was a fellowship that made it possible for Dean O’Hara to attend Notre Dame.

The Patricia A. O’Hara Fellowship will provide financial assistance to help deserving students obtain the unique benefits of a Notre Dame legal education.

Law alumni and friends are invited to contribute to the O’Hara Fellowship. Under the Eck Family Law Fellowship Challenge, which runs until December 31, 2009, all gifts to the O’Hara Fellowship will be matched dollar-for-dollar for financial aid within the law school.

The law school advisory council raised $540,000 in gifts and pledges to create the O’Hara Fellowship.  The Eck family generously agreed to match the council’s contributions, resulting in a presidential-level fellowship of more than $1 million. This makes the O’Hara Fellowship one of the most robust financial aid funds in the law school.

The O’Hara Fellowship is an important step toward the law school’s goal of raising $17 million in endowed fellowships through the Spirit of Notre Dame campaign. Within the law school, and across the University, financial aid stands as the most critical fundraising priority of the campaign.

If you wish to contribute, or seek additional information, please contact Glenn Rosswurm, the director of Law School Advancement, at 574-631-7609 or Rosswurm.3@nd.edu.

The O’Hara Fellowship was announced on May  1, following a dinner held in honor of the formal dedication of the Eck Hall of Law, the new law school facility on Notre Dame Avenue. The fundraising, planning, and construction of the building were guided by Dean O’Hara.