"What part soever you take upon you, play that as well as you can and make the best of it." -- St. Thomas More

The Catholic Lawyers Society of Metropolitan Detroit has long roots in the Archdiocese of Detroit and in the legal community; our founding dates to 1944, when a group of Catholic attorneys met in the chambers of Hon. Ernest Aloysius O'Brien (1880 - 1948),  judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.  Our purpose: To serve Christ and His Church in the legal profession. We promote the study and application of Christian principles to legal issues, following the example of our patron, St. Thomas More. 

The Society promotes its members' spiritual welfare through a variety of activities, including our Advent and Lenten events, Annual Mass, participation in the Red Mass of the Archdiocese of Detroit, and other special events. .Monthly "First Friday" reflections, composed by CLSMD Spiritual Director Rev. Paul Czarnota, JD, JCL, are sent via e-mail to all members; First Fridays are also when the Society holds its popular "Zoom Rosary." 

CLSMD also addresses some of the most complex, and challenging, issues of our time. In 2020, CLSMD opposed a proposed change to Michigan's Code of Judicial Conduct because of the threat it poses to First Amendment rights, including religious liberty. In 2022, CLSMD publicly opposed Proposal 3, warning that this amendment to the Michigan Constitution could -- among many other effects -- allow abortion at any time, do away with informed consent requirements, and abolish conscience protections for hospitals and doctors who refuse to perform abortions. And in 2023, CLSMD was a strong, public voice against a change to the Michigan Court Rules requiring state judges to address litigants and attorneys by their preferred pronouns (see the CLSMD statements here, here, and here). In 2025, CLSMD was among several religious and civil liberties organizations that successfully opposed ADM 2023-35, a package of sweeping changes to attorney and judicial ethics rules. ADM, which was published for public comment on a 6-1 vote of the Michigan Supreme Court, would have imposed a speech code on Michigan judges and lawyers, with the threat of professional sanctions for non-compliance. After CLSMD and others pointed out the many concerns with ADM 2023-35, including constitutional issues, the Michigan Supreme Court ultimately did not adopt the proposed revisions to attorney ethics rules, and approved a limited version of the rules as applied to judges.

Charitable works include volunteering for the free legal clinic at Most Holy Trinity Parish and a twice-annual project at Focus Hope (with the Incorporated Society of Irish-American Lawyers). 

"The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life." CCC 1324

The general membership is open to any judge, attorney, or law student who supports CLSMD's goals. Membership on the Board of Directors is limited to Catholics in good standing. Annual dues are $50. New members pay $35 in dues for the first year, then $50 annually thereafter. For law students, membership is free. CLSMD appreciates donations in excess of dues to support our high school scholarship fund.