Upholding Catholic values in the law
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Mission
To provide opportunities for the Catholic legal community to strengthen its faith through education, fellowship, and prayer.
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Vision
To attract and engage with Catholic attorneys at all stages in their careers to strengthen the community and drive professional and spiritual growth.
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Purpose
To create experiences for people with shared professional and spiritual backgrounds that foster growth and build an even stronger community in Orange County.
Our Commitment to Orange County
We are dedicated to:
Hosting the annual Red Mass, bringing together judges, attorneys, elected officials, and legal professionals in prayer for wisdom, justice, and guidance in their work.
Inspiring our members to live out their faith by embodying the principles and virtues exemplified by St. Thomas More, both in their personal lives and within the legal profession.
Promoting and upholding the highest ethical standards in the legal field, with a particular focus on fostering integrity within the Catholic legal community.
Supporting the spiritual growth of our members through faith-centered education, fellowship, and prayer.
Encouraging interfaith dialogue, understanding, and collaboration to strengthen unity within the broader legal and faith communities.
Advocating for justice and the common good through service, mentorship, and charitable outreach within the legal profession and the wider community.
Ideals of St. Thomas More
The legal profession is a high calling with corresponding responsibilities to society. The principal objective of every lawyer is to promote and seek justice. Catholic Lawyers pursue the truth in both their spiritual and professional lives. The duty of a Catholic lawyer is to remain faithful to Jesus Christ, His Church and its teachings at all times despite the personal consequences.
Our History
In 1995, inspired by a homily delivered by Bishop Norman McFarland at the Red Mass of Orange County, five dedicated attorneys gathered at the law offices of Rutan & Tucker in Costa Mesa to discuss a growing concern: how the demands of the legal profession were taking a profound toll on the personal and spiritual lives of those who practiced it. They recognized that many legal professionals had become overly focused on material success, often at the expense of their faith and spiritual well-being.
Determined to create a supportive community that would help Catholic lawyers and judges strengthen their faith while navigating the challenges of their profession, they envisioned an organization dedicated to fostering spiritual growth, ethical integrity, and fellowship. They chose St. Thomas More, a brilliant lawyer, devoted husband and father, and an unwavering defender of the Catholic faith, as their patron and guiding inspiration.
Thus, the St. Thomas More Society of Orange County was born, uniting Catholic legal professionals in a shared commitment to faith, justice, and service.
St. Thomas More, pray for us.
Membership Benefits
As a St. Thomas More Society of Orange County member, you join a community of Catholic legal professionals dedicated to integrating faith, ethics, and fellowship into their daily lives and careers. Inspired by St. Thomas More, we strive to uphold the highest moral and professional standards, supporting one another in living out our faith within the legal profession.
We encourage members to participate in our monthly events, where we foster meaningful connections, engage in discussions on faith and law, and grow spiritually alongside like-minded professionals. Each year, we also come together to support and attend the Red Mass, a cherished tradition that brings our community together in prayer for guidance and wisdom in law practice.
Your involvement strengthens our shared mission and helps build a thriving network of Catholic legal professionals committed to faith and justice.
