The Aquinas Fellowship is a program for young lawyers that examines the relationship between the Catholic intellectual tradition and American constitutionalism. Ideal candidates are in the first decade of their legal careers. The program consists of eight monthly seminar-like discussions hosted at D.C.-area restaurants and features important scholars who lead the conversations. It meets from September through April of each year.
Topics covered include:
Fellows are expected to do a modest amount of reading in preparation for each session.
Please email a resume, statement of interest, and list of references to law-cit@cua.edu. There is no need to submit letters of recommendation; the Fellowship will contact the listed references if necessary. The statement of interest should be no more than one page long, single-spaced, and it should address why the applicant is interested in learning more about the Catholic intellectual tradition and what knowledge and/or experience the applicant will bring to the Fellowship discussions that would make a valuable contribution.
The application period for the 2024-2025 Aquinas Fellowship class has now closed. We will begin accepting applications for the 2025-2026 class in April 2025.
Justin Aimonetti is an associate at Dechert LLP. He previously served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and to Judge Carl J. Nichols of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is a graduate of The University of Virginia School of Law, where he was awarded the Order of the Coif and served as Articles Editor for the Virginia Law Review. Mr. Aimonetti received a master’s degree in legal history from the University of Virginia and earned his undergraduate degree cum laude from Columbia University.Â
Danny Bagley is a First Year Lawyer Fellow at Alliance Defending Freedom. He will serve as a law clerk to Judge Edward Meyers on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims starting in the fall of 2023. Mr. Bagley graduated magna cum laude from The Catholic Univerisity of America Columbus School of Law and received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.
Libby Baird recently completed her service as a law clerk to Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the U.S. Supreme Court. She previously served as a law clerk to Judge Kevin C. Newsom on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and to Judge Trevor N. McFadden on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was awarded the Order of the Coif and served as Articles Editor for the Virginia Law Review. Mrs. Baird received her undergraduate degree summa cum laude from the University of Arizona.Â
Tiffany Bates is an associate at Consovoy McCarthy. She previously served as a law clerk to Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and as a legal policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation. She is a graduate of the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where she was the managing editor for the George Mason Law Review. Ms. Bates received her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Hillsdale College. Â
Rishabh Bhandari is a law clerk to Judge Gregory G. Katsas on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and will clerk for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., on the U.S. Supreme Court in October Term 2023. He previously served as a law clerk to Judge Amul Thapar on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Mr. Bhandari is a graduate of Yale Law School, where he was Features & Book Reviews Editor for the Yale Law Journal. He earned an M. Phil in international relations from Oxford University and his undergraduate degree from Yale University.Â
Patrick Butler is an associate at Kirkland & Ellis. He previously served as a law clerk to Judge Michael B. Brennan on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and to Judge James C. Dever, III, on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Mr. Butler graduated magna cum laude from Duke University School of Law, where he was awarded the Order of the Coif and served as Executive Editor for the Duke Law Journal. He received a master’s degree in international relations with First Class Honors from University College Dublin and earned his undergraduate degree cum laude from the University of Notre Dame.
Aly Cox is a law clerk to Judge Carl J. Nichols on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She previously served as a law clerk to Judge William H. Pryor, Jr., on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. She graduated summa cum laude from Notre Dame Law School, where she was Managing Articles Editor for Notre Dame Law Review, and she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame.Â
Josh Divine is Chief Counsel to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley. He previously served as a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas on the U.S. Supreme Court and to Judge William H. Pryor, Jr., on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Divine has also served as Deputy Solicitor General for the State of Missouri. He is a graduate of Yale Law School, where he was a Senior Editor for the Yale Law Journal, and he received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from the University of Northern Colorado.
Joe Falvey is an associate at Jones Day. He previously served as a law clerk to Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., on the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Thomas B. Griffith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Mr. Falvey was Special Counsel for the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry officer from 2009 to 2014. Mr. Falvey is a graduate of Yale Law School, where he was Notes Editor for the Yale Law Journal, and he received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Notre Dame.
Kate Hardiman Rhodes is a law clerk to Judge Trevor N. McFadden on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and will clerk for Judge Gregory G. Katsas on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in the fall of 2024. She graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was Senior Staff Editor for Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy, and she received her undergraduate degree summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Notre Dame.Â
Alexander Hoffarth is an associate at Hogan Lovells. He previously served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Diane S. Sykes on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Mr. Hoffarth is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was awarded the Order of the Coif and served on the Editorial Board for the Virginia Law Review. He received his M.B.A. from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Boston College.Â
Thomas Hopson is an associate at Jones Day and will clerk for Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court in October Term 2023. He previously served as a law clerk to Judge Gregory G. Katsas on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and to Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is a graduate of Yale Law School, where he served as Notes & Comments Editor for the Yale Law Journal, and he received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Yale College.Â
Anna Cecile Pepper is an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell and will clerk for Judge William H. Pryor, Jr., on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in the fall of 2024. She previously served as a law clerk to Judge John B. Nalbandian on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She is a graduate of The University of Virginia School of Law, where she was awarded the Order of the Coif and served as Notes Development Editor for the Virginia Law Review. She graduated magna cum laude from The University of Louisville.
Justin M. Romeo is an associate at Dechert LLP. He previously served as a law clerk to Chief Judge D. Brooks Smith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and to Judge Danny C. Reeves on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He also worked as a judicial assistant to Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., on the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Romeo is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, where he was Senior Staff for the Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy, and he received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh.Â
Michael Showalter is an associate at Kirkland & Ellis. He previously worked as an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Diane S. Sykes on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and to Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Mr. Showalter is a graduate of Yale Law School, where he was Comments Editor for the Yale Law Journal, and he received his undergraduate degree with Highest Distinction and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan.
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*Biographies accurate as of September 2022
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