Report: Catholics prominent in key legal, judicial fields in 2025
Catholics hold a significant presence across the highest levels of American law and justice, according to a Catholic Herald special report.
The Sept. 6 report highlighted Catholics whose faith shapes their work in law and public life, from Vice President JD Vance to Supreme Court justices, human rights lawyers, and corporate attorneys.
The prominence of Catholics on the Supreme Court remains striking. Associate Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, Sonia Sotomayor, and Clarence Thomas, along with Chief Justice John Roberts, make up a majority of the current bench.
Alito, a devout Catholic, authored the decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Barrett, the fifth woman ever appointed to the Court, also joined the Dobbs ruling, while Kavanaugh — descended from Irish Catholic roots — has been active in his parish, volunteering with homeless ministries and Catholic schools.
Sotomayor, the first Hispanic justice, and Thomas, who returned to the faith after years away, round out the significant Catholic representation on the nation’s highest court.
The report also points to figures working beyond the bench. Leonard Leo, co-chair of the Federalist Society, is described as one of the most influential Catholic lay leaders in America. Long known for his role in shaping the federal judiciary, he has supported the appointments of Justices Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett. His leadership extends to Catholic outreach, philanthropy, and public advocacy.
Prominent Catholic lawyers are similarly shaping public life, according to the report. Charles LiMandri has spent decades defending religious freedom, including a landmark victory that forced California to reopen churches during the pandemic. New York trial attorney Thomas Moore, a graduate of the Catholic University of America and Fordham Law, has been recognized among the nation’s top litigators while endowing scholarships and faculty positions at Catholic institutions.
Other names highlighted include Joseph E. Schmitz, a lawyer, military veteran, and member of the Order of Malta; Nina Shea, a long-standing human rights advocate for persecuted Christians; and George Molinsky, a Notre Dame graduate recognized as one of Cincinnati’s leading corporate lawyers.
