About Lloyd Hitoshi
Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer has built a career that bridges courtroom work and the classroom. He graduated from Stanford University in 1985 with a B.A. in economics and public policy, then earned his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1991.
After law school, Mayer served as a judicial law clerk in 1994 for Judge Lowell A. Reed, Jr. of the U.S. District Court. That early exposure to federal litigation shaped his next steps. By 1996 he had moved into private practice as an associate and later of counsel at Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered, a Washington, D.C. firm. He maintained professional ties in the capital while developing his interests in legal scholarship and teaching.
Mayer began his academic career in the mid-2000s. He joined Notre Dame Law School as an associate professor in 2005. Over the next several years he took on more responsibility. In 2011 he was named associate dean and was appointed professor. Colleagues and students have known him as a steady presence in faculty governance and curriculum planning. He has balanced classroom work, administration, and ongoing professional engagement.
His professional affiliations include membership in the American Law Institute, a position he has held since 2014. That membership aligns with his record of participation in broader legal conversations beyond campus. He has continued to publish and speak on matters of legal practice and policy, contributing to debates that reach beyond the law school.
Mayer’s path reflects both practice and pedagogy. He combined years in a Washington law firm with sustained academic leadership. He has supervised clinics and mentored students pursuing litigation and public service careers. His experience in a federal clerkship and in private practice informs his teaching and administrative choices, and it provides a practical counterpoint to academic inquiry.
He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and maintains professional involvement there while serving on the Notre Dame faculty. In the classroom and in faculty meetings he is known for clear expectations and pragmatic advice. He currently teaches and works at Notre Dame Law School and is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.
