OVERVIEW

GALILEE, an acronym for Group Alternative Live-In Legal Education, gives Notre Dame law students an opportunity to learn about public interest law through student-designed urban immersion programs over their Christmas breaks. Any Notre Dame law student (J.D. or L.L.M.) may participate.

The program is designed to introduce Notre Dame law students to the legal problems of the urban poor in ways impossible to learn in the classroom and to broaden students' understanding of the legal profession through exposure to various areas of public interest law. By spending several days meeting with public defenders, legal aid attorneys, governmental law agencies and other social service professionals, law students are provided the opportunity to explore public interest law while developing an appreciation for the tensions and complexities that result from interaction between real people and the law - something not necessarily available in casebooks.

The GALILEE program began in 1981 when six students and one professor participated in the first GALILEE program in Chicago. Now as many as fifty Notre Dame law students, in numerous cities across the country, participate in activities including visiting battered women's shelters, touring jails and prisons, riding with police officers, witnessing criminal trials, and meeting with legal and social service professionals. GALILEE participants stay together in their chosen city in order to enhance the experience by allowing group reflection.

The GALILEE program includes two half-day seminars (one before the program and one after its completion) and requires submission of a paper documenting students' reflections on their experiences. GALILEE participants earn one co-curricular credit (S/U) for their participation.

New York City

GALILEE offers students a chance to see people putting their ideals into practice.
-- Dan Cory, Chicago

Although I was skeptical about participating in the program initially, GALILEE turned out to be an incredible experience. It exposed me to a variety of public interest organizations in New York that work on cases ranging from asylum to housing to juvenile defense. In addition, I learned about the type of pro bono work that is done at large corporate firms. GALILEE enhanced my resume and was consistently a topic of conversation during my interviews for summer jobs. GALILEE also allowed me to spend time and become friends with classmates who I may not have otherwise met and we had a great time together!
-- Keira McCarthy, New York

I didn't want to say that I lived in South Bend for 3 years and never left campus. Through my participation with the South Bend group, I discovered that South Bend is a very dynamic place in terms of non-profit leadership, which is something that I am personally interested in. South Bend is one of the few cities in America where the non-profit sector is growing faster than the public and private sectors, I would have never known that had I not chosen to participate.
-- Cordell Carter, South Bend

I chose to travel to Boston for GALILEE because I know I want to practice there after graduation. The experience really gave me a sense of how public interest law works in the city. We saw so many different ways that people with law degrees can contribute to assisting the urban poor. GALILEE reminded me of why I came to law school in the first place and energized me for my second semester.
-- Chris Pearsall, Boston

Participating in Galilee in Chicago was a great way to finish up my first semester at law school. Seeing the real world impact of lawyers inspired me after a long and demanding Fall. It also expanded my idea of what a lawyer can do. Prior to Galilee, I had never really considered that even a homeless person needs a competent attorney to represent them. It also changed some of my pre-conceived notions about what particular types of lawyers do. I had a great time getting to know some of my classmates and learned more than I ever could have expected. Galilee was a fun and meaningful opportunity that I would gladly do again.
-- Liz Anderson, Chicago