The 72nd annual Red Mass, sponsored by the John Carroll Society, was held Oct. 6, 2024, at the Cathedral of St. Matthew in Washington, D.C. The Mass invokes God’s blessing for those who work in the administration of justice. A brunch reception at the Capital Hilton followed the Mass, which was attended by faculty and students from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.

At the reception, the John Carroll Society honored four legal professionals and a law firm for their pro bono support of the Catholic Charities Legal Network of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. The Catholic Charities Legal Network served 1,789 low-income residents in the District of Columbia and Maryland area in the 2023-24 fiscal year. The services provided by the network’s 600 volunteer attorneys and 45 participating law firms provided over 3,000 hour of pro bono service (valued at more than $2.3 million!).

Thomas J. Kelly ‘80 and Kathleen Merlo ‘98 received two of the four John Carroll Society Pro Bono Legal Service Awards for their efforts in providing volunteer services on behalf of the neediest individuals and families in the Archdiocese. The alumni honorees were celebrated by Catholic Law faculty and students, some pictured below, who were in attendance at the reception.

Kelly has served three terms on the Catholic Charities Legal Network Advisory Council. He has championed the causes of the Catholic Charities Legal Network for decades, first establishing a free legal clinic in 1991 that is now a part of Bread for the City, another thriving nonprofit that serves DC with food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services. A trial attorney and former assistant U.S. attorney, he has accepted pro bono civil cases through the Legal Network at his law firm, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath. He is also a member of the Legal Network’s Golf Tournament Committee and has served on the Board of Directors of the Neighborhood Legal Services Program.

Merlo has been a dedicated volunteer for the Catholic Charities Legal Network since 2020. She works directly with pro bono clients, handling client intake with compassion and attention to detail. Additionally, she provides legal support as a parenting coordinator with the Circuit Court of Maryland and serves as a mediator with the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.