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O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel,

qui aperis, et nemo claudit...

O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!


Welcome to the

Catholic Bar Association

Catholic Bar Association General Assembly

Elects New Officers and Directors


     The Board of Directors of the Catholic Bar Association recently confirmed the election of new officers at its annual General Assembly held in Louisville Kentucky. These officers will serve for one year, concluding with the 2025 CBA Conference to be held in Kansas City, Missouri September 4-6, 2025. The officers are as follow:

  • President: David K. DeWolf, Professor Emeritus, Gonzaga Law School, Spokane, Washington. In addition to writing on law and religion, Professor DeWolf has authored authoritative books on Washington civil law, including torts, contracts, and insurance law.
  • President-Elect: Stephen C. Rasch, a partner at Holland & Knight, LLP, an international firm, specializes in complex commercial litigation. He is active in the Dallas St. Thomas More Society.
  • Secretary: Eric Kniffin, a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C., is a long-time advocate and defender of religious liberty. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
  • Treasurer: Marion Miner, Associate Director of Pro-Life & Family Policy for the Nebraska Catholic Conference. He regularly appears before the Nebraska Legislature and State Agencies on behalf of the Conference.
  • Immediate Past President: Phyllis Sower, Frankfort, Kentucky. Having completed her term as President, Phyllis Sower continues on as an officer ex officio. Phyllis holds degrees both in civil law and canon law, and served as President of the Catholic Bar Association 2023-24.

Additionally, three new directors were elected:

  • Louis Brown, Executive Director of the Christ Medicus Foundation
  • Edward "Eddie" Greim, Partner at Graves Garrett Greim of Kansas City Missouri
  • Nikolas T. Nikas, Co-founder, President and General Counsel of Bioethics Defense Fund

Visit our leadership page to see a list of all our directors.

Catholic Lawyers: Uniting Law and Reason

October 10-12, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky

The CBA Conference and General Assembly in Louisville, Kentucky was a great success! This annual meeting, held this year in at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky entertained interesting, provocative, and informative speakers.

In the Charles Rice Memorial Lecture, Gerard Bradley spoke about “progressive” criminal prosecutions and criminal punishment. Professor Paul DeHart gave a scholarly presentation about natural law and government by consent. Attorney and law professor Brendan Wilson spoke about the accountability of Church members and leadership. Scott Pollack discussed immigration law and religious liberty. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer addressed attacks on religious freedom in the United States. Canon and civil lawyer Bishop Thomas Paprocki, who is on the CBA Episcopal Advisory Committee, presented the St. John Fisher Lecture about legal responses to governmental threats to the Church’s freedom in this country. Attorneys, and CBA Board Members, Eric Kniffin, Nik Nikas, and Peter Wickersham had a timely panel discussion about attacks on the Priest-Penitent privilege, misconceptions about the recent and much-discussed Alabama court decision regarding abortion, and the defense of healthcare conscience rights. Nina Shea discussed why United States foreign policy ought to promote religious freedom. Finally, we were fortunate to hear Patrick Jenevein present on his litigation against Communist China.

The Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre, Archbishop of Louisville, celebrated a reverent Mass at his Cathedral of the Assumption near the meeting site. Our Red Mass Banquet hosted John Garvey, President Emeritus of The Catholic University of America to offer our St. Thomas More Lecture. Evaluations from meeting attendees have been glowing.

The meeting was approved by fifteen States for between 7.5 and 12.5 hours of Continuing Legal Education credit. Plan to get a portion of your 2025 CLE by attending the 2025 CBA conference in Kansas City, Missouri from September 4 to 6!

 

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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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