When Elizabeth Van Asten (Totzke) '22 J.D. was a student in the Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic during her final year at Notre Dame Law School, she gained invaluable experience through the opportunity to write for real clients, real cases, and real courts.
Today, after clerking for Judge Diane Sykes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Judge David Stras of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and for United States Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Van Asten says that experience remains an influential part of her legal education.
"The Religious Liberty Clinic provided the most hands-on writing experience I had in law school," Van Asten said. "The experience taught me to think strategically about advocacy in a way that doctrinal classes simply can't."
After completing her Supreme Court clerkship in July 2025, Van Asten returned to the Seventh Circuit to clerk once again for Judge Sykes as the judge transitioned to senior status. The decision reflects a career path that has prioritized mentorship and public service before entering private practice.
Although each of her clerkships was distinct, Van Asten says they collectively prepared her to serve at the nation's highest court.
"The fundamentals of the work are similar—researching legal issues, drafting opinions—but the Supreme Court operates on an entirely different scale," she said. "Every decision has nationwide significance. It was an extraordinary privilege to be part of that process."
Looking back on her year at the Supreme Court, Van Asten came away with an even greater appreciation for the institution and the people who serve on it.
"I left with so much respect for all nine justices," she said. "They may have differing opinions about the law, but I genuinely believe that each is trying to do what they think the law requires. Clerking for Justice Barrett was truly the privilege of a lifetime."
Van Asten credits much of her professional preparation to the opportunities she found at the Law School. Alongside her work and involvement on the Notre Dame Law Review, the Religious Liberty Clinic gave her practical experience that helped prepare her for the work she would later perform as a law clerk.
"The Clinic taught me not only how to write clearly and concisely but how to think holistically about a case and the governing law," she said. "You're considering the most persuasive arguments and anticipating opposing positions. Those skills translated directly into clerking."
She also points to the mentorship she received from Notre Dame faculty, including Religious Liberty Clinic faculty, as instrumental in shaping her career. Professor Nicole Garnett first introduced her to judicial clerkships, while Professor John Meiser supported and encouraged her application to the Supreme Court.
"From the beginning, they believed in me and encouraged me to pursue opportunities I hadn't imagined for myself," Van Asten said.
“Elizabeth was a joy to teach and work alongside,” Meiser said. “Her work was second to none and she approached every project with a level of care and enthusiasm that made all of our efforts better. We are all proud of—but certainly not surprised by—Elizabeth's many accomplishments since graduating.”
“I had the great privilege of working with Elizabeth on several projects in the Religious Liberty Clinic,” Garnett said. “These included an amicus brief in the Supreme Court and an op-ed about that case. Even as a law student, she had the skills of an experienced attorney. I knew that she’d excel at the Supreme Court, and I have confidence that, wherever life takes her, she’ll embody what it means to be a ‘different kind of lawyer.’”
Reflecting on Notre Dame's mission to educate a "different kind of lawyer," Van Asten said the phrase has taken on greater meaning as she has progressed through her legal career.
"To me, it means understanding your role in the legal system and always pursuing what is true, right, and just," she said. "Whatever role you're serving, you should approach the law with integrity and a commitment to justice."
For current law students, her advice is to embrace every opportunity to learn.
"Law school is only three years, but it's the foundation for an entire career," she said. "It's worth giving everything you have because you'll never again have that same opportunity to learn from outstanding professors, mentors, and classmates."
For the Religious Liberty Clinic, Van Asten's journey from student advocate to Supreme Court law clerk demonstrates the lasting value of experiential legal education. The practical skills, close faculty mentorship, and commitment to principled advocacy she developed in the Clinic continue to shape her work as she prepares for the next chapter of her legal career.
About the Notre Dame Law School Religious Liberty Clinic
The Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic is a teaching law practice that educates, forms, and prepares Notre Dame law students to become the rising generation of religious liberty leaders by training students in the practice of law as they defend religious freedom for all people.
Under the guidance of Law School faculty and staff, students work on a broad variety of legal matters to promote religious freedom on behalf of individuals and organizations of all beliefs—both domestically and abroad. The Clinic represents clients from all faith traditions to promote not only the freedom for people to hold religious beliefs but also their fundamental right to express those beliefs and to live according to them. Learn more about the work of the Clinic here.