, the Joseph A. Matson Dean and professor of law at Notre Dame Law 91视频, has received a 2026 Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement from the American Academy of Sciences and Letters.
The Barry Prize is the Academy鈥檚 premier initiative to promote excellence in scholarship. Open to scholars across diverse fields and disciplines, the annual prize honors those whose work has made outstanding contributions to humanity鈥檚 understanding and cultivation of the good, the true, and the beautiful. Recipients also become members of the Academy.
The prize, which is accompanied by a $50,000 cash award, was conferred by Academy President Dr. Donald Landry of Columbia University during a ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, on November 4.
Cole was recognized for his contributions to jurisprudence and the study of how laws can promote justice, freedom, and economic development. His prize citation reads:
鈥淏ringing together a deep knowledge of jurisprudence and empirical study of how people respond to legal norms and principles, Marcus Cole has enabled legislators and jurists to understand how laws can more effectively promote justice, freedom, and economic development in the face of rapid technological and social change. His work has improved legal systems in bankruptcy and venture capital, religious freedom, and the protection of property and contract rights in disadvantaged communities. The Academy honors Prof. Cole鈥檚 distinguished contributions to humanity鈥檚 ongoing pursuit of justice and the Rule of Law.鈥�
As dean of Notre Dame Law 91视频 since 2019, Cole has overseen a steady increase in the academic credentials of each incoming class while preserving a commitment to service. He has expanded experiential learning opportunities, growing the number of Law 91视频 clinics from three to 11. His emphasis on postgraduate judicial clerkships has established Notre Dame Law 91视频 as among the four leading law schools in the United States in the placement of graduates in these highly coveted positions.
Cole鈥檚 Global Lawyering Initiative has expanded the international presence and influence of Notre Dame scholars and students, particularly in the Global South. He also founded the , advancing religious freedom for all people around the world.
, the Charles E. Rice Professor of Law and a concurrent professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, was also invested as a member of the Academy.
Snead鈥檚 book, What It Means to Be Human: The Case for the Body in Public Bioethics (Harvard University Press, 2020), received the Expanded Reason Award and was named among The Wall Street Journal鈥檚 Ten Best Books of 2020 and The New York Times鈥� Ten Books to Understand the Abortion Debate in the United States.
His current book in progress, Ethics at the Edges of Humanity, is under contract with Harvard University Press. Another book in progress for which he is co-editor, Embryo Law and Ethics, is under contract with Cambridge University Press.
Previously, Snead served for 12 years as director of Notre Dame鈥檚 , developing it into a worldwide hub for scholarship, publication, and public engagement across diverse fields of study. He has been appointed to the Pontifical Academy for Life and UNESCO鈥檚 International Bioethics Committee and is an elected fellow of The Hastings Center.
His influential work in bioethics has included serving as general counsel to the U.S. President鈥檚 Council on Bioethics, testifying before Congress and state legislatures, and serving as an expert witness in federal courts. He was the United States鈥� chief negotiator for UNESCO鈥檚 Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights in 2005, later serving as the U.S. government鈥檚 permanent observer to the Council of Europe鈥檚 Steering Committee on Bioethics.
Originally published by at on November 05, 2026.