Barbara Marie SZWEDA

1953 - 8 FEB 2023

• BIRTH: 1953, Beaver Dam, Dodge, Wisconsin
• DEATH: 8 FEB 2023, Memorial Hospital, South Bend, IN

INDEX

[N34428] Barbara Marie Szweda
1953 - February 8, 2023

After a long and courageous battle with triple-negative breast cancer, Barbara Marie Szweda passed away peacefully, hand-in-hand with her family, on February 8, 2023, at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana. Barbara was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, in 1953 to John and Alice Szweda. She was the oldest of eight children. Barbara attended college at Lawrence University, graduating in 1975 with a BA in history. She went on to complete her JD at Pepperdine Law School in 1980. Barbara began her legal career as one of only two female attorneys at a high-profile litigation firm in Los Angeles, California. She later continued her career in private practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she not only worked for Tulsa's two most prestigious law firms, but also gave birth to her two children, Claire and Matthew Gasperetti. In 1990, Barbara joined the faculty at Notre Dame Law School. At Notre Dame, she taught immigration and asylum law and worked as a pro bono clinician for more than 15 years. Barbara was a dynamic attorney and passionate litigator who argued multiple appellate cases, including the landmark Seventh Circuit decision Torres v. Mukasey in 2008, which has shaped immigration law. Barbara was devoted to helping clients from some of the most dangerous places in the world escape persecution. Her care and compassion helped guide numerous clients to peace and safety in the United States. She was a light in the darkness and helped many of her clients achieve their American Dream. Barbara is survived by her children, her three brothers and four sisters, and the hundreds of friends, students, and clients whose lives she touched. A remembrance for Barbara will be held at the Church of Our Lady of Loretto on February 27, 2023, at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider donating to one of Barbara's favorite charities, La Casa De Amistad. More information can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/Barbara-Szweda.

Posted online on February 13, 2023
Published in South Bend Tribune