Marquette University Law School is pleased to welcome Daniel “Dan” Sawall, L'23, as Reference & Instructional Services Librarian and Assistant Adjunct Professor of Law. His path to this role has been anything but conventional—and that’s precisely what makes his perspective so valuable to students and colleagues alike. “I often say that I stumbled my way into law,” he reflects. “It wasn’t something I set out to do, but once I arrived, I found a home.”
As a student at Marquette Law, Professor Sawall served as President of the Labor and Employment Law Society, earned induction into the Pro Bono Honors Society, and presented to school districts on a then-recent U.S. Supreme Court decision while in a fieldwork placement [Hammership with Wisconsin Association of School Boards]. After graduation, he practiced professional liability defense, primarily representing dentists, nurses, and nursing homes in high-stakes litigation. “My time in practice was short, but I had the chance to work on matters that carried real weight. What I discovered about myself, though, was that my strongest expertise—and my deepest interest—was research.”
In 2024, Professor Sawall pursued that passion by earning a master’s in library and information science from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, graduating the following spring. By 2025, he had returned to Eckstein Hall as a librarian and faculty member. At Marquette, he teaches Advanced Legal Research and often lends his research talents to support courses like Appellate Writing and Advocacy or Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research. “I may be a bit biased, but this community has such a drive for knowledge,” he says. “Students aren’t just looking for quick answers. They want to understand the process, and that’s inspiring to me.”
Returning as a colleague has been both exciting and surreal. “As a former student, I know firsthand how much the faculty and staff care about the whole person—cura personalis. That mission inspired me then, and it inspires me now. Of course, I still catch myself wanting to call professors by their titles rather than their first names!” Professor Sawall also finds joy in the classroom. Though he admits he was never much of a “school person,” he pursued education because of students like him—curious but not always drawn to traditional learning. “I’ve always said I love learning, but hate being taught. That perspective pushes me to make the classroom a place of shared discovery. The best moments aren’t just when a student has an ‘ah-ha’ moment, but when their curiosity motivates them to keep exploring on their own.”
Professor Sawall is motivated by how rapidly law librarianship is evolving, particularly with emerging technologies like AI. “The information ecosystem is changing faster than ever. Librarianship has transformed more in the last 30 years than in decades before, and AI is just the latest example. Entering the profession now means learning these technologies as they develop— an anticipated challenge to teaching, but I look forward to helping students prepare for their futures.” His advice for students reflects that adaptability: master the fundamentals, be ready to learn new skills, and seize new opportunities as often as you can. “Sometimes what looks like luck is really just being open to opportunity,” he says.
Outside of his professional role, Professor Sawall’s curiosity continues to lead him down new paths. He has studied aquarium ecology and maintains a filter-less freshwater aquarium, forages native plants to cook and brew with, forged the wedding bands for himself and his wife, and even researched urban morphology to understand the evolution of cities. “If you’ve got a niche interest,” he laughs, “chances are I’d love to hear about it!”