The Center for Law and the Human Person, a program of The Catholic University Columbus School of Law (Catholic Law), held the spring semester’s first Faith in Action lunchtime discussion on Tuesday, February 13. Entitled “The Truth Shall Set You Free,” the event featured the Rev. Dominic Legge, O.P., a professor of dogmatic theology at the Dominican House of Studies who prior to taking his vows practiced constitutional law as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). This was the first Faith in Action lecture to be introduced by new Center co-director Marc O. De Girolami, St. John Henry Newman Professor of Law, who joined the Catholic Law faculty in January 2024.
The goal of the Faith in Action series, DeGirolami said, is “to expose law students to lawyers in the community, who will discuss living a life of faith.” Fr. Legge opened his remarks with a series of questions emphasizing the intellectual nature of a life of faith—among them, “What is a Catholic lawyer?” He observed that Catholic lawyers should integrate their lives of faith and their professional lives in their allegiance to the truth.
Citing Catholic philosopher and saint Thomas Aquinas, Fr. Legge explained that, for each person, pursuing truth entails discerning individual spiritual desires with the intent of bringing together all facets of a fully human life. Through integrating life in such a way, he concluded, the Catholic lawyer gracefully confronts the challenge which every professional encounters—maturity.
Following his comments, Fr. Legge opened the floor for questions from the audience. In response to a question about a book he would recommend to law students, Fr. Legge recommended Servais Pinckaers, O.P.’s The Sources of Christian Ethics. Fr. Legge described the book as “life-changing,” in particular noting how it helped him to understand the connection between law and morality.
The Faith in Action lecture series is a long-standing law school tradition, running for more than a decade, and since the Center’s inception in 2021 has been sponsored by the Center for Law and the Human Person. Its next installment, “Top Ten Tips for Living and Lawyering Authentically” with Catholic University’s deputy general counsel Jennifer Lichter, will be held on March 19 at 12:30pm in Room 204 of the Columbus School of Law. As always, lunch and refreshments will be provided.
