Keynote lecture by Mary Ann Glendon

The Center for Law and the Human Person (CLHP) recently hosted its 4th Annual Spring Symposium, titled “Now We Know that the Law is Good”: On Law and Virtue, in the Walter A. Slowinski Courtroom at Catholic Law. The event opened with a warm welcome from Professor Elizabeth Kirk, Co-Director of CLHP, who reflected on the symposium's theme of the integral relationship between law and virtue. Drawing inspiration from Giotto’s allegorical frescoes of the Virtues in Padua’s Scrovegni Chapel, Kirk emphasized the enduring connection between legal frameworks and the moral character they shape and require.

The highlight of the evening was the keynote lecture delivered by Mary Ann Glendon, the Learned Hand Professor of Law Emerita at Harvard University and former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. Glendon’s lecture, titled “The Rule of Law and Legal Excellence: How Much Should We Worry?”, reflected on the ideals of judicial impartiality, the rule of law, and the moral responsibilities of legal professionals. She traced the historical perspectives of civic virtue from the American Founders to Tocqueville, noting the various contemporary challenges from across the ideological spectrum posed by shifts in legal ethics and cultural cohesion. Glendon urged attendees to consider the reciprocal relationship between law and culture and the need for revitalizing civic virtues and institutions to sustain democracy. Above all, she emphasized the need for reform of personal character. Her thought-provoking address set the stage for deeper discussions on the transformative role of law in shaping a just and virtuous society.

This year’s symposium also featured private sessions during which early career scholars who had written papers devoted to the subject of law and virtue gathered together with four senior scholars for a day of dedicated commentary, discussion, and fellowship. The senior scholars were Stephanie Barclay (Georgetown), David Crawford (John Paul II Institute), Rick Garnett (Notre Dame), and Michael Moreland (Villanova).

A recording of the keynote is available below.