After completing her journey as a Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D.) candidate at Notre Dame Law School, Ewa Rejman reflects on her experiences at Notre Dame and the scholarship she has contributed, shaped by Notre Dame Law School’s commitment to form a “different kind of lawyer.”

Rejman’s dissertation tackled a pressing question: How can international law be leveraged to protect mothers’ rights in their full complexity? Centered on Article 10(2) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Rejman contends that safeguards for mothers must be crafted “on the basis of the entire reality of their circumstances.” Rejman’s analysis integrates the socioeconomic rights doctrine, the non discrimination principle, and an anthropological framework of interdependency. “The measures required are not one‑size‑fits‑all,” she explains. “They must be special, adequate, and reasonable—terms the treaty already supplies, but the courts have not yet fully elaborated on.”

This nuanced approach builds on Rejman’s multifaceted legal education. A native of Poland, Rejman earned her first master’s in law at the University of Wrocław before completing an LL.M. at Notre Dame. Under the supervision of Charles E. Rice Professor of Law O. Carter Snead and with Professor Paolo Carozza on her committee—while also serving as Carozza’s teaching and research assistant—she refined her argument to withstand rigorous scrutiny. “I knew I had to tighten every claim while never forgetting that law ultimately serves human dignity,” she says.

"It was a privilege and a pleasure to serve as Ewa's dissertation director. It is an important contribution to the international human rights literature and offers a much-needed missing voice on behalf of the genuine needs of mothers and their flourishing. She's a rising star and represents the best that Notre Dame has to offer,” said Snead.

Beyond her dissertation, Rejman embraced Notre Dame’s interdisciplinary spirit. She was a Sorin Fellow at the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, a Fellow at the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, and an affiliate of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Regular volunteering with friends at a local nursing home provided Rejman grounding to counterbalance her rigorous academic life. “My time at Notre Dame reminded me that the people my research aims to help are not abstractions,” she notes.

This summer, Rejman will work with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, assisting the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. In the fall, Rejman is scheduled to teach International Human Rights Law at George Mason University.

Reflecting upon what distinguishes a Notre Dame lawyer, Rejman said, “A ‘different kind of lawyer’ must be hardworking and diligent with good intentions, but this is not enough. The difference is the attention to concrete persons with concrete needs, and a willingness to constantly correct and educate oneself both in life and at work.”

Since 1992, Notre Dame’s J.S.D. program has prepared a select cohort of legal scholars for leadership in international and comparative law. Ewa Rejman’s blend of intellectual rigor, interdisciplinary engagement, and compassionate focus on vulnerable mothers epitomizes that tradition—and signals a career devoted to advancing justice worldwide.

Originally published by Alex Henry at law.nd.edu on May 30, 2025.