Ave Maria School of Law offers a high quality legal education with a commitment to professional excellence, rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition. Our school motto is Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason.) Inspired by Pope John Paul II’s 1998 encyclical, Fides et Ratio, Ave Maria School of Law offers a distinctive legal education — an education characterized by the harmony of faith and reason. In fact, Ave Maria Law is the only law school in the United States to offer a concentration in Natural Law.
Pope John Paul II wrote Fides et Ratio to address the relationship between faith and reason. It was written primarily to address and defend traditional Christian philosophy. His Holiness believed that faith and reason together allow people to know and love God.
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Mission Driven
Ave Maria School of Law offers a high-quality legal education with a commitment to professional excellence, rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition. Inspired by Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Fides et Ratio, Ave Maria School of Law offers a distinctive legal education — an education characterized by the harmony of faith and reason.
Academics
We offer a rigorous and varied academic program, based on the foundation of faith and reason. Ave Maria Law requires 90 credit hours for graduation, including a core curriculum of 74 credit hours and 6 credit hours of experiential courses. In addition, we fully support our students in preparing for the bar examination by offering intensive courses that focus on test-taking abilities, advanced essay writing, and multistate bar exam questions.
Faith
Ave Maria School of Law is a Catholic law school welcoming all faiths on campus. Though the majority of students are Catholic, many religious backgrounds are represented within the school student body, faculty, staff, and alumni. The presence of faith in and out of the classroom adds a profound sense of community.
Professional Development
The Office of Professional Development works to support, encourage, and empower our students as they begin the pursuit of their passion for the legal profession. Our departmental focus is in direct alignment with the law school’s vision and mission in fidelity to the Catholic faith to build a community, serve the common good, and educate and develop students who will become lawyers with the finest legal, ethical, and professional skills.
Ave Maria School of Law
Prepares our students in Mind & Body & Spirit
BODY
The health of the body is connected to the health of the mind and soul. Ave Maria Law is blessed with a beautiful fitness complex on the school’s 12.5-acre campus. An entire Mind + Body + Spirit initiative is an important aspect of the school community.
MIND
Our Ave Law features rigorous academics, leadership training, and legal education founded on the intellectual tradition of the Catholic faith. There are many different clubs and activities to help you delve further into your passion for the law.
SPIRIT
Our faith is at the center of everything we do.
Though the majority of students are Catholic, many religious backgrounds are represented within the school adding a profound sense of faith to our community.
“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves”
St. John Paul IIENCYCLICAL LETTER FIDES ET RATIO OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
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STUDENT
EMPLOYMENT
Student employment is available through the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program
EXPLORE OUR LAW SCHOOL
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The National Jurist has listed Ave Maria School of Law as among
The Most Conservative law school in the United States
Read HERE!
Naples is one of the BEST places to move in the U.S.A. says Travel + Leisure magazine.
It is reported that with more people working remotely than ever, Naples has quickly become the primary home of many urbanites relocating from cities such as Chicago and New York City. In fact, it now holds the title of the safest place to live, according to a recent U.S. News survey, and is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, attracting not just retirees but also younger couples.
Read what they are saying here.
Chosen as a distinguished guide by the esteemed Cardinal Newman Association, we are honored to be the only Catholic law school awarded this prestigious recognition.
Ave Law consistently ranks as The Princeton Review’s “Most Conservative Law School,” preLaw’s “Most Devout Law School,” and as one of Princeton Review’s “Best Law Schools.” As an unabashedly Catholic, conservative, and competitive school of law, Ave Maria Law School seeks to change the culture for the good by training lawyers in the Catholic intellectual tradition.
Ave Law Blogs
Mastering Legal Writing: A Crucial Skill for Law School Success and Legal Career Advancement
Legal writing is a fundamental skill in law school, crucial for students’ academic success and future legal practice. It enables clear and precise communication of complex legal concepts, essential for drafting documents such as briefs, memos, and opinions. Mastery of legal writing also ensures that students can persuasively argue their positions, a key component in litigation and negotiation. Moreover, strong legal writing skills are highly valued by employers, making them indispensable for career advancement in the legal profession.
“Our noble calling as attorneys, properly understood through the wisdom of the Catholic Church as it relates to human beings, has made all the difference for me in life. I hope that we at Ave Maria Law will instill that same sense of vocation in you. After all, why devote your life to something less than a true calling to serve others?”
