“I am honored to be a member of the Weigand Family. The Weigand Trust is not only empowering me to pursue my dreams but elevating them in the process. I look forward to paying forward the gifts I have received and truly making a difference with my life and my legal career.”
Bernadette Shaughnessy
University of Notre Dame
Weigand Scholar: 2022, 2023, 2024
Hometown
Cimarron, KS
Education:
B.A., Accounting and Finance, minors in Economics and Theology
Benedictine College, 2021
- Graduated summa cum laude
- Financial Executives International Scholar
J.D. Candidate, University of Notre Dame Law School, 2024
Bernadette Shaughnessy was born in Axtell, Kansas, and raised in Cimarron, Kansas. As a fifth-generation Kansan, her love for the state runs deep. After attending Notre Dame, she plans to return and serve her fellow Kansans.
Bernadette graduated summa cum laude from Benedictine College in May 2021 with majors in Accounting and Finance and minors in Economics and Theology. During her time at Benedictine, she was involved in the Gregorian Fellows Leadership Program, Hunger Coalition, and Ravens Respect Life. She also served as a volunteer income tax preparer (through VITA) and spent a semester studying abroad in Florence, Italy.
Bernadette is currently a student at Notre Dame Law School and will graduate in May 2024. She serves as Executive Symposium Editor for the Journal of Law, Ethics, and Public Policy and is a student fellow at the Religious Liberty Initiative. She also serves as president of the St. Thomas More Society.
During the summer of 2022, Bernadette worked for Judge Holly L. Teeter at the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. During the summer of 2023, she was a summer associate at Husch Blackwell in Kansas City. After graduation, Bernadette will clerk for Judge Raymond W. Gruender on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
“I love this state. I love the people that make it what it is. As a Kansan, I hope to use my legal education to work and advocate for its citizens.”