The Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago

Est. 1934

The Catholic Lawyers Guild is a Chicago-based bar association that is organized to promote the social, intellectual, temporal and spiritual welfare of its members.



Welcome from our 2023-2024 CLG President!

James Murray

News from the Community


From Catholic National Reporter

‘Less than a person’: Formerly incarcerated people say system needs healing

Catholic Criminal Justice Reform Network, a project of the Lumen Christi Institute hosted a dialogue event on February 21: Reconciling Justice: A Community Conversation on Criminal Justice Reform. It was one of a series of such conversations across the country aimed at fostering a “culture of encounter,” as Pope Francis terms it, among those responsible for the criminal justice system and those impacted by it.

Participants shared stories to illustrate the system’s failure to acknowledge the humanity of crime victims, perpetrators, those who are or have been incarcerated, and their families.

By Heidi Schlumpf

February 28, 2024


From Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

Judge Thomas More Donnelly works to bring joy to courtroom one bow tie at a time

Known for his signature bow tie and infectious positive energy, Judge Thomas More Donnelly draws inspiration and guidance from his patron saint, mentors and religious beliefs as he strives to bring personality and joy into an often solemn role.

By Grace Barbic

December 14, 2023



From WTTW

New Board of Education Members Share Their Thoughts on Chicago’s Education Landscape

Mayor Brandon Johnson this week announced that Jianan Shi will serve as the board’s next president, alongside new members Mariela Estrada, Mary Fahey Hughes, Rudy Lozano, Michelle Morales and Tanya D. Woods

July 6, 2023

Congratulations to Tanya D. Woods, member of the Guild’s Board of Governors, on her appointment to the Chicago Board of Education. We wish Tanya great success in this important role of helping to ensure that CPS provides the highest quality education to its students.


From NPR

Illinois Is The 1st State To Tell Police They Can’t Lie To Minors In Interrogations

Senate Bill 64 makes anything said or done during restorative justice practices privileged information. (Restorative justice involves meetings among offenders, victims and others in the community with the goal of identifying and repairing the harm and moving forward.)


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Prayer

Providing opportunities for reflection and union with God has been a crucial part of the Guild’s life, accomplished through retreats, days of recollection, and the Red Mass.

God has been a crucial part of the Guild’s life, accomplished through retreats, days of recollection, and the Red Mass.

Service

Some notable services provided by the Guild have been pro bono service to immigrants at the request of Cardinal Samuel Stritch in the 1960s and Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in 1970s , the hearings on sexual abuse conducted at the request of Cardinal Francis George in 2002, and our recent adoption of the Catholic Charities Legal Clinic as a service opportunity for our members.

Celebration

Annually we organize the Red Mass at Holy Name Cathedral, the Mass that has opened the Fall Term for courts since 1245 A.D. asking the Holy Spirit’s help for lawyers and judges. In tandem with the Red Mass, we celebrate with a reception with lawyers who have incarnated Christ in the world through their work.


Upcoming Guild Events