Vischer on Catholic Legal Theory and Catholic Legal Education . . . in tough times

Rob's talk is called "How Should Catholic Legal Theory Matter to Catholic Legal Education in a Time of Retrenchment."  He's asking about Catholic Legal Theory's connection to legal education in three ways:  As a distinctive feature of a law school that helps (or not) to attract applicants and students; as a lens or topic for faculty research; and as an aspect of the curriculum.  Drawing on his own experience as the dean of a Catholic law school -- an intentionally Catholic law school -- Rob is not confident that Catholic legal theory, or a school's Catholic mission more generally, does much work in attracting students (especially in the current difficult times) and he also doubts that faculty research in this field does or can do much to boost rankings or appeal to students concerned about skills, practical matters, and graduating "practice ready."  And, in the curriculum, he discusses (drawing on his experience with St. Thomas's required justice course), it's difficult to incorporate Catholic Legal Theory -- at least explicitly.  It's often seen as not practical, not relevant, and not sufficiently determinate (or perhaps too determinate).

So . . . why should Catholic law schools care about Catholic Legal Theory?  Perhaps because, he suggests, we believe it's true.    And also, explains, because it helps give faculty a sense of their work as vocation and as having a pastoral dimension.

Catholic Legal Theory matters, even in an era of retrenchment, in part because Catholic *law schools* matter, to the common good and not only to those schools' immediate stakeholders.