The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law is pleased to announce that Marc O. DeGirolami is joining the Law School as the inaugural St. John Henry Newman Professor of Law, a newly endowed faculty chair made possible by a generous gift from an anonymous donor. Professor DeGirolami will also serve as the Co-Director of the Center for Law and the Human Person. He will be formally installed in the Newman chair at a ceremony in the fall of 2024.

DeGirolami comes to Catholic University from St. John’s University School of Law, where he was the inaugural Cary Fields ‘86 (Honorary) Professor of Law and the Co-Director of the Mattone Center for Law and Religion. His scholarship focuses on law and religion, constitutional theory, tort law, and criminal law. His publications include “The Tragedy of Religious Freedom” (Harvard University Press) and articles in the Yale Law Journal, Notre Dame Law Review, Washington University Law Review, Constitutional Commentary, and Boston College Law Review, among others. He has written for The New York Times, The New Republic, and First Things. He is working on a book about the role of tradition in constitutional law that will be published by Cambridge University Press.

The Center for Law and the Human Person serves as the law school’s central resource for thinking about how the Catholic intellectual tradition and moral commitments such as the dignity of the human person and justice rooted in the common good ought to inform the study, teaching, and practice of law. The Center supports relevant scholarly research and curricular development, emphasizes student formation, and engages broader academic, professional, and public policy communities.

“I am pleased to welcome Marc to Catholic Law,” said Elizabeth Kirk, Co-Director of the Center for Law and the Human Person. “Marc is a thoughtful, erudite scholar whose prolific work, especially in law and religion, is widely recognized as important and influential. His scholarship has a unique character: it is grounded rigorously in traditional legal reasoning, is interdisciplinary in its generous scope, and is refreshingly innovative and thought-provoking. This distinctive scholarly perspective is a perfect complement to the mission of the Center as it seeks to connect the rich and varied Catholic intellectual tradition to the study of law. Also, given the Center’s special emphasis on student formation, I am delighted that Catholic Law students will benefit from Marc’s renowned teaching gifts and warm rapport with students. I am eager to work together with Marc to lead the Center and hopeful and enthusiastic about its future.”

Catholic Law’s Dean Stephen C. Payne added, “Marc DeGirolami is a widely-respected scholar, teacher, and person. He is a scholar classically steeped in the Humanities pursuing his authentic vocation as a law professor, and we are blessed to have him join us. His substantial gifts will enrich our special community and benefit our students for many years to come. Our hiring of Marc is a perfect example of our school’s competitive advantage in attracting top scholars because of who we are and what we are trying to do, and because of who they are and how they are called to pursue the good.”

Professor DeGirolami will start at Catholic Law on January 1, 2024.