Knights, guilds and lay societies
Catholic Bar Association
CBA
Founded 2015Professional association and self-described lay movement within the Church for Catholic legal professionals. Nonprofit with Episcopal Advisors and an Academic Advisory Council; no canonical erection claimed.
A few minutes' work
Online form, paid. Catholic Attorney Member $150 for a one-year subscription period; Premium Membership $750; Lifetime Membership $2,500 with no future dues.
Enroll nowApply online through the membership page and pay by card, or download the CBA membership form and mail it via USPS.
Members have a portal to sign in to.
A national community for Catholic lawyers, judges, law students, and legal academics who want their faith and their practice to be the same life. The main visible activities are an annual conference with judges and legal scholars on the program, promotion of the Red Mass (the traditional Mass for those in the legal profession, held near the opening of the court term), continuing legal education, a speaker network, and local affiliate chapters. The founding president's pitch is simply that you have a home, which tells you what members are actually looking for.
What you promise
Annual dues at the Catholic Attorney Member level, or a one-time payment for Premium or Lifetime membership. Local affiliates must have at least one individual who is or becomes a Catholic Attorney Member of the national CBA. Beyond dues there is no required meeting schedule, degree sequence, or service quota; participation in the conference, Red Mass, and local affiliate events is voluntary.
What the Church attaches
Red Mass promotion, Episcopal Advisors, and an Academic Advisory Council. The association frames itself as a lay movement inside the Church rather than a devotional society, so there are no indulgences or required devotions.
Enrollment checked 2026-10-22. Details change without notice and parish practice varies. Confirm before relying on this sheet.