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Law; an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Welcome to the

Catholic Bar Association

Announcing CBA 2024

Catholic Lawyers: Uniting Law and Reason

October 10-12, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky

The Catholic Bar Association is holding its 2024 Annual Conference and General Assembly on October 10-12, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky.  The conference is co-hosted by the Louisville Catholic Bar Association (LCBA). We have an amazing line-up of conference speakers including Professor Gerard Bradley of Notre Dame Law School, the Most Reverend Thomas Paprocki, Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, and  other eminent presenters. See our conference website for the complete listing of speakers and topics. The Early Bird registration deadline for CBA members is September 1 and the room block cut-off is September 23 so register soon!

CLE approved in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin, and pending in Tennessee.

Ed Whalen comments 

on the U.S. Supreme Court Opinion in Moyle v. United States


     The CBA joined an amicus brief in the above-styled matter arguing that EMTALA was bein used to preempt Idaho's pro-life legislation and created the risk of violating the conscience rights of Catholic personnel and hospitals forced to perform abortions in emergency rooms. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the Federal District Court on June 27. For an excellent analysis of the Court's Order, see two articles by Ed Whelan that appeared in the National Review (re-posted here with permission).

Understanding the EMTALA Order - Part 1

Understanding the EMTALA Order - Alito on the Merits (Part 2)

Eighth Annual

Catholic Bar Association

Conference and General Assembly

The Eighth Annual Conference and General Assembly of the Catholic Bar Association was held Oct. 27-28 at George Mason University Arlington Campus in Arlington, Virginia.  Attendees enjoyed fascinating presentations by Judge William H. Pryor, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, who gave the annual St. Thomas More Lecture at our Red Mass banquet, Professor Helen M. Alvaré who was our Charles E. Rice Memorial Lecturer, and The Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington who was the principal celebrant and homilist at our Red Mass.  Other presenters included Rev. Robert A. Sirico, President Emeritus and co-founder of the Acton Institute, federal Judges Justin R. Walker and Robert J. Conrad, Jr., and other law professors and legal practitioners, all discussing the application and effect of Catholic moral and legal principles in the practice of law.  We also enjoyed an excellent roundtable discussion entitled The Tale that Won’t Stop Wagging: The Attacks on Pius XII and What They Tell UsRead more here.


Recordings of some speakers are available on our Member website.


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Christ Centered Evangelization

Our History, Vision and Purpose


The Catholic Bar Association (CBA) is a lay movement within the Church to build community, nationally and internationally, among Catholic members of the legal profession.  The underlying vision for this organization was an inspiration felt by many of the founding members.  Led by the Holy Spirit, members of different Catholic lawyers’ organizations, universities and dioceses from across the United States have formed the CBA.

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