Hi again everybody,

I am considering going to Ave Maria Law school in Ypsilanti, MI. They just got accredited and seem to be a staunce Catholic Law school. There are so many ways a good lawyer can help people I believe. I honestly believe that God allowed me to have an awesome formation experince with the Legionaries of Christ for a reason, and I am really beginning to think that I may have found that reason. I was thinking of eventually helping out with adoption services, but what other field are we in need of good Catholic lawyers...any suggestions?

Joe

-- Joseph Carl Biltz (jcbiltz@canoemail.com), February 10, 2003

Answers

Good for you, Joseph! We need good, prolife lawyers to help defend those falsely accused of "harassing" women at abortion clinics when they are only trying to save a life. We need good Catholic lawyers to show people that euthanasia-based living wills are bad...that divorce is bad, etc. I don't know if you know this about Ave Maria, but I believe they are going to open up another campus in Florida and eventually close the one in MIchigan.

-- Christina (introibo2000@zcloud.net), February 10, 2003.

God bless your plans, Joseph. We need Catholic lawyers in any areas of liturgical abuses, and issues to do with Catholic schools. Are you familiar with Charles Wilson and the St. Joseph foundation? They are a group of canon lawyers, I think out of Texas.

I hear it was the ex-owner and 'founder' of Domino's pizza that founded the Ave Maria school, and the 'ave Maria' university to be built in Florida. I saw him on EWTN, he says he wants to pattern it after the Franciscan University at Steubenville. God bless him.

-- Theresa Huether (Rodntee4Jesus@aol.com), February 10, 2003.

Yes, his last name is Monahan, isn't it? But my brain won't spit out his first name! I hate it when that happens...

-- Anna<>< (Flowerof theHour@hotmail.com), February 11, 2003.

I believe it's Tom Monahan

Joe

-- Joseph Carl Biltz (jcbiltz@canoemail.com), February 11, 2003.

Hey Joe, I am a student at Ave Maria, the college in Ypsilanti MI. It is a great place. The Law School I hear is excessively hard, but worth it. They have a large pro-life group, and work hand in hand with the Thomas Moore Law Center.

The campus is also really nice. It is right next to Ann Arbor, it may actually be in it, and the set up is amazing.

I think if you go in there with high exspectations, you will not be disappointed at all. And it is run by Tom, the founder of Dominoes, and the things he has done for this community are amazing.

Hope you come out, and enjoy it, the town is a little odd, not to Catholic orientated, but the people at both the College and the Law school are amazing. Rex

-- Rex (rrwrightr2002@hotmail.com), March 11, 2003.

I currently go to Ave Maria Law School. You should come check the school out. It is a good school, especially note that Ave Maria beat U of Michigan at bar passage rate (93% passage rate for Ave Maria to 90% for Michigan). The teaching is great. Someone said it is excessively hard, its not. Law school isn't supposed to be easy and by the bar passage rate you can see the difficulty of the school isn't excessive, its just right.

I highly suggest checking the school out. If you want to know anything, let me know.

-- Steve Scordino (snscordino@avemarialaw.edu), November 09, 2003.

Hey, I'm going to Ave Maria College! (Not the law school, the college.) I didn't realize that so many people on this forum knew about the school... or so many people at the law school knew about this forum.

The college is really amazing; there aren't many places where you'll see your professor (with his wife and children) sitting right in front of you during Sunday Mass. I've been told that this school is challenging, academically, but my courses aren't hard. Although I am uncertain about some of the philosophy taught here, the theology and literature are excellent; overall, I highly recommend Ave Maria.

The only downside is that this school (not the law school) is in the process of being moved to Florida, and only the freshman class of this year is guaranteed to graduate in Michigan.

-- Catherine Ann (catfishbird@yahoo.ca), November 11, 2003.

We need Catholic Lawyers who are willing to sue the Church either in its own legal system or in a civil forum, if that is even possible, when its annulment process or the Catholic Church through its clerics cooperate with spouses in the destruction of sacramental marriages.

Somthing must be done to stop the horrible injustices going on.

Karl

-- karl (Parkerkajwen@hotmail.com), November 12, 2003.

I'm from the inaugural class of Ave Maria, and I hope you will consider applying. Regarding the rigor of the curriculum - it is demanding, but it is not overwhelming. The true measure of how hard law school is comes moreso from your fellow students - the sharper the students, the more of a challenge the school becomes, as you are competing with your fellow students for the grades. Unlike other law schools, however, we were both competitive and supportive with one another. There were some students who, from my perspective at least, were overly competitive to the point that they may have been a little bit uncharitable. But very few were like this. And even among those few who tended to be this way, they were still moral people. If you want more out of law school than a diploma, if your faith is a part of your daily life, then consider Ave Maria. I'm a native Mississippian, and I wasn't sure that I'd fit in up "north" as we call Michigan and its sister states. But I really miss my classmates and instructors a bunch. Please let me know if you have any questions.

David Krause Ave Maria Class of 2003

-- David Krause (dbk@brownbuchanan.com), November 12, 2003.

I'm surprised to get several inquiries regarding Ave Maria, but honored that several readers who expressed reservations about the school would email me. I'm changing law firms now, so the email listed won't work after 2/13/04. If I can provide you with any insight into the school, you can email me at my home email, dkrause3434@msn.com. I don't know my email for my new firm yet, otherwise I'd give that one to you as well. David

-- David Krause (dkrause3434@msn.com), February 12, 2004.