Cole Receives 2026 Barry Prize for Intellectual Achievement
Notre Dame Law School dean G. Marcus Cole and professor O. Carter Snead were honored by the American Academy of Sciences and Letters.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Awards
G. Marcus Cole received a 2026 Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement from the American Academy of Sciences and Letters, and O. Carter Snead was invested as a member of the Academy. The honors were conferred at a ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, on November 4.
Why it matters
The prize recognizes contributions to jurisprudence and the study of how laws can promote justice, freedom, and economic development. For South Bend readers, it highlights the work of the University of Notre Dame's law faculty.
The Barry Prize carries a $50,000 cash award, and under Cole's tenure as dean the number of Law School clinics grew from three to 11. The extraction does not indicate how the award funds will be spent.
The players
G. Marcus Cole
Cole is the Joseph A. Matson Dean and professor of law at Notre Dame Law School, a post he has held since 2019 and under which he founded the Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic.
O. Carter Snead
Snead is the Charles E. Rice Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame and author of What It Means to Be Human, which received the Expanded Reason Award.
American Academy of Sciences and Letters
The Academy is an honorary society whose members are invested through prizes such as the Barry Prize and which recognizes distinguished intellectual achievement.
The details
Academy President Dr. Donald Landry of Columbia University presented the prize. Cole's Global Lawyering Initiative has expanded Notre Dame's international presence, particularly in the Global South, and he founded the Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic.
Timeline
2019: Cole began serving as dean of Notre Dame Law School.
2020: Snead's book What It Means to Be Human was published.
November 4, 2026: The Barry Prize ceremony was held at the Library of Congress.
Culture Shift
The Barry Prize joins the Academy's honors for legal and intellectual scholarship, placing Notre Dame's law faculty within a long-running national recognition system. The recognition reflects a continued emphasis on how law connects to justice and economic development.
South Bend residents may notice the Notre Dame Law School's expanded clinics and global initiatives in the community. The recognition reflects work that could influence legal services and religious liberty advocacy in the region.
The takeaway
Academic honors like the Barry Prize often reflect years of institution-building, from clinic expansion to international outreach. Readers interested in legal education can track how law schools measure impact through clinics, clerkships, and global programs.
Further reading
Explore more Awards coverage from South Bend.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Notre Dame News.
