Theory and Practice

Two quick responses to the practicing lawyer's concernsthat our conversations may be too theoretical and too disconnected from the issues that matter to Catholic lawyers.

• As Marc DeGirolami's comments suggest (to me anyway) the issue isn't theory vs. practice so much as examination of the foundational structures of our society vs. the practical day to day issues facing practicing lawyers.  Both sides of the equation have theoretical and practical aspects.  What I hear from the practicing lawyer is that s/he would like those of us who are gifted with more time for reflection to devote some energy to helping envision a way to make the practice more human.  And, this seems to be a worthy goal.
• The Catholic Legal Theory project is developing along multiple fronts.  Some professors devote the bulk of their scholarly energy to what I consider a rear guard action of protecting the religious liberty of the faithful.  Others are involved primarily in exploring the foundations of our political communities, attempting to mine what is good in the liberal tradition, disregarding what is inhumane (radical autonomy, for instance), and recover what the Catholic tradition has to offer our ailing culture.  Still others focus on humanizing the law practice.  As to the latter, in the Spring of 2007, MOJer, Lisa Schiltz organized and hosted an excellent conference at St. Thomas, Workplace Restructuring to Accommodate Family Life, which is published in the St. Thomas Law Journal.