Category: Masthead Bios

John Pandol is from Bakersfield, California. He graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in Business Administration and Social Sciences. Prior to law school he worked in his family’s business in the produce industry. For his 1L summer he interned at Belden Blaine Raytis in Bakersfield, CA. He enjoys watching college football and reading about U.S. history.

Brigid O’Keefe is originally from Long Island, New York. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2020 with a degree in Political Science and Classics, with a concentration in Latin. She is an Oralist on the Moot Court Board’s Jessup Team and an Assistant Rector in Lewis Hall. After her 1L year, Brigid interned with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and with the Government Litigation Section of the Indiana Attorney General’s Office. During her 2L summer, Brigid was a summer associate at Cahill, Gordon & Reindel in New York, where she will pursue a practice in litigation after graduation.

Andrew grew up in the Oklahoma City area. He completed his Mechanical Engineering degree at LeTourneau University in May of 2017. He used, and continues to use, that background working as a Controls Systems Engineer in the building automation field. Continuing his academic journey at Notre Dame, Andrew is pursuing a joint graduate degree in law and mechanical engineering with plans to work in patent law. During his first law school summer, he interned with the Honorable Judge Bob Carroll of the 40th Judicial District Court of Texas. The following summer, Andrew was thrilled to participate in the Hamburg Honors Scholar program attending courses at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany. He also worked with the General Counsel’s Office at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. In his free time, Andrew can be found on the golf course, watching the Oklahoma Sooners, or playing board games with friends and family.

Drake is originally from Overland Park, Kansas. He attended The George Washington University where he earned two Bachelors of Arts degrees: first in Political Science with a Minor in Journalism and Mass Communication and second in International Affairs with a Concentration in Security Policy. Prior to law school, he worked as a paralegal at a small plaintiffs’ firm in Olathe, Kansas. During his 1L summer, Drake was selected to intern for the Honorable Timothy McCarthy of the 10th Judicial District Court of Kansas through the Kansas Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section. During his 2L summer, Drake interned for the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate of the U.S. Army JAG Corps for the 21st Theater Sustainment Command in Kaiserslautern, Germany and also worked as a Research Assistant for Professor Rick Garnett. Drake currently serves as an Oralist for the Notre Dame Moot Court Board’s Jessup Team, the Curriculum Chair for the Student Bar Association, and the Alumni Chair for the LGBT Law Forum. In his free time, Drake enjoys fencing, watching horror movies, and karaoke.

Matt is from Mount Prospect, Illinois. He attended the University of Indiana. Prior to attending Notre Dame, Matt worked in merchandise planning for Macy’s in New York. During his 1L summer he worked as an extern for a judge on the Cook County Circuit Court. He spent his 2L as a summer associate at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago. Matt will be returning there after graduation and will be pursuing a practice in Restructuring.

Maria is from The Woodlands, Texas. She attended Texas A&M University and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Philosophy and two minors in Italian and Sociology. Maria was an Assistant Rector her 2L year. She will be studying abroad Spring 2023. During her 1L summer she interned with the National Immigrant Justice Center’s policy team located in D.C. Maria also took the EU Policy-Making Course offered by the VUB Brussels School of Governance (Institute of European Studies) and the Diplomatische Akademie Wien — Vienna School of International Studies, made available through Notre Dame’s Nanovic Institute for European Studies. For her 2L summer, Maria worked at a big law firm in Chicago where she will return after graduation. In her free time, Maria enjoys exercising and spending time with family and friends.