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Exploring the relationship between the Catholic intellectual tradition and American constitutionalism

10/07/2026

Join CIT and Hillsdale College on Thursday, October 15 at 6:30 pm at Hillsdale In DC for a historical and philosophical exploration of pietas and honor in the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration, in severing the Founders' ties with their former home country, closes with the signatories pledging to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their "sacred Honor." As CIT continues to mark the 250th anniversary, this event asks what those words meant to the Founders and what they still ask of us.

The evening will feature Fr. Dominic Verner, O.P., James Hankins, Matthew Spalding, and Kevin C. Walsh.

Learn more: https://cit.catholic.edu/events/pietas-sacred-honor-and-the-declaration-of-independence/

09/30/2026

Join CIT on Wednesday, October 14 for our annual event, "The Declaration and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition: A Jurist's Perspective."

The event gives judges the opportunity to reflect on the role the Catholic intellectual tradition plays in their vocations. Speakers include Judge Josh Divine, Judge Lindsay Freeman, and Judge Kyle Duncan.

Learn more and register: https://cit.catholic.edu/events/the-declaration-and-the-constitution-a-jurists-perspective/

09/29/2026

Last Thursday bestselling author Luke Burgis joined Prof. Kevin Walsh to discuss his new book, "The One and the Ninety-Nine: Forging Identity in the Age of Social Contagion."

Their conversation centered on the book's core argument: that a solid self, one who lives by conscience and acts with integrity without constant concession, is forged in real community rather than apart from it. Drawing on René Girard's insights into mimetic desire, the Rule of St. Benedict, and the parable of the lost sheep, they explored why prestige is so often an illusion, how humility can reshape a status-driven profession like law, and what it means to belong to a community without being absorbed by it.

Thank you to all who joined us! Watch the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L42__EGKbik

09/21/2026

Join CIT on Thursday, September 24 for a conversation with bestselling author Luke Burgis about his new book, "The One and the Ninety-Nine: Forging Identity in the Age of Social Contagion."

Burgis will speak with Prof. Kevin Walsh about the book's central argument: that forming a solid self who can act with integrity and courage in real communion with others is the only real alternative to a fragmented self who is easier to coopt and manipulate.

Learn more: https://cit.catholic.edu/events/forging-identity-in-the-age-of-social-contagion-a-conversation-with-author-luke-burgis/

09/11/2026

Join CIT on Wednesday, September 16 as we present a Constitution Day lecture, "Freedom of Thought and the Struggle to End Slavery," by Keith Whittington, David Boies Professor of Law at Yale Law School.

This event is co-sponsored by the Carroll Forum on Citizenship and Public Life at Catholic University and The Jack Miller Center.

Learn more: https://cit.catholic.edu/events/constitution-day-lecture-freedom-and-thought-and-the-struggle-to-end-slavery/

06/09/2026

Congratulations to CIT Director J. Joel Alicea, who received the "Class Marshal" honor from the Class of 2026 at this year's Catholic Law commencement ceremony!

Student speaker Hali Woods remarked, "This honor is a way for our class to express gratitude for inspiring, guiding, and challenging us throughout our legal education."

Cheers to Prof. Alicea and the class of 2026!

04/20/2026

Please join CIT and Hillsdale College this Thursday, April 22, for an engaging discussion on "The Declaration’s Role in Constitutional Interpretation." The event will feature Prof. Matthew Mehan, Prof. Kevin Walsh, and Prof. Bradley Watson.

About the event: 2026 marks the semi-quincentennial of the Declaration of Independence. From the Founding to the time of Lincoln to the present, American jurists have debated the Declaration’s proper role in constitutional interpretation.

Register and learn more about our distinguished speakers: https://cit.catholic.edu/events/the-declarations-role-in-constitutional-interpretation/

04/02/2026

We are just one week away from our landmark event, “Endowed by Their Creator: Catholicism, the Declaration of Independence, and the American Experiment at 250.”

The symposium will gather leading scholars and public intellectuals to discuss the relationship between the Catholic intellectual tradition and the principles of the Declaration of Independence, as well as to foster reflection on how both Catholicism and the Declaration continue to influence and inform America's experiment in constitutional self-government 250 years after 1776.

We are proud to partner with Notre Dame’s Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government and The Carroll Forum for Citizenship and Public Life to bring you this Conference!

Register here: https://cit.catholic.edu/events/catholicism-and-the-250th-anniversary-of-the-declaration-conference/

03/12/2026

A big thank you to everyone who joined us last week for The Return of General Law at the American Enterprise Institute. This important conversation explored the resurgence of scholarly interest in general law. The panel discussed the increasingly prominent role that general law has come to play in originalist analysis of the Privileges or Immunities Clause, personal jurisdiction, sovereign immunity, the Second Amendment, and other areas of constitutional jurisprudence.

The discussion featured Prof. A.J. Bellia (Notre Dame Law School), Prof. Jud Campbell (Stanford Law School), and CIT Director J. Joel Alicea.

03/03/2026

Join CIT tomorrow, March 4, for a discussion on the resurgence of scholarly interest in general law and the increasingly prominent role that general law has come to play in originalist analysis of the Privileges or Immunities Clause, personal jurisdiction, sovereign immunity, the Second Amendment, and other areas of constitutional jurisprudence.

The panel features Prof. A.J. Bellia, Prof. Jud Campbell, and CIT Director, Prof. J. Joel Alicea.

This event is co-sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute.

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https://cit.catholic.edu/

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