Ronald J. Rychlak is an American

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

and

political commentator A pundit is a person who offers mass media opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport). Origins The term originates from the Sanskrit term ('' '' ), meaning "knowledg ...

. He is a Distinguished

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

of Law at the

University of Mississippi School of Law The University of Mississippi School of Law, also known as Ole Miss Law, is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. The School of Law offers the only dedicated aerospace law curr ...

and is holder of the Jamie L. Whitten Chair in Law and Government. He is known for his published works, career as an attorney, and writings on the role of

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Personal life

Rychlak attended

Wabash College Wabash College is a private liberal arts men's college in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Founded in 1832 by several Dartmouth College graduates and Midwestern leaders, it enrolls nearly 900 students. The college offers an undergraduate liberal arts cur ...

and received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree Degree may refer to: As a unit of measurement * Degree (angle), a unit of angle measurement ** Degree of geographical latitude ** Degree of geographical longitude * Degree symbol (°), a notation used in science, engineering, and mathematics ...

cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

'' in

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

in 1980. He then attended

Vanderbilt University School of Law Vanderbilt University Law School (also known as Vanderbilt Law School or VLS) is a graduate school of Vanderbilt University. Established in 1874, it is one of the oldest law schools in the southern United States. Vanderbilt Law School has consiste ...

, where he was honored with the

Order of the Coif The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. The name is a reference to the ancient English order of advocates, the serjeants-at-law, whose courtroom attire included a coif—a white lawn or silk skullcap, whi ...

and received his

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

(J.D.) in 1983."Faculty Directory", University of Mississippi School of Law
/ref> Rychlak is married, has six children, and resides in

Oxford, Mississippi Oxford is a city and college town in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Oxford lies 75 miles (121 km) south-southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, and is the county seat of Lafayette County. Founded in 1837, it was named after the British city of Oxf ...

Career

Rychlak is a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Mississippi. He has been at the university since 1987, holds the Jamie L. Whitten Chair in Law and Government, and is the former Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Before becoming a professor, he was an attorney with

Jenner & Block Jenner & Block is an American law firm with offices in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The firm is active in corporate litigation, business transactions, the public sector, and other legal fields. ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. He is a member of the Illinois Bar. Rychlak also clerked for Judge

Harry W. Wellford Harry Walker Wellford (August 6, 1924 – April 17, 2021) was a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western ...

of the United States

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * Eastern District of Kentucky * Western District of K ...

. Professor Rychlak serves as the University of Mississippi's Faculty Athletics Representative (2007—), Chair of the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee (2007—), and is a member of the University Athletics Diversity Committee (2016—). He served as the Chair of Institutional Compliance Committee (2007-2016). In addition, Professor Rychlak is a member of the executive committee of the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

(2014—; Secretary 2017—). His memberships include the

Phi Kappa Phi The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (or simply Phi Kappa Phi or ) is an honor society established in 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study, and to promote the "unity and democracy of education ...

Honor Society, the National Association of Scholars, the editorial boards of ''The Gaming Law Review and Economics'' and Cluny Media, the

Society of Catholic Social Scientists The Society of Catholic Social Scientists (SCSS) is a US-based non-profit organization founded in 1992 by Stephen M. Krason of Franciscan University of Steubenville at the Pittsburgh Hilton hotel and recognized as a non-profit by the US Internal R ...

(Board of Directors 2009—), the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, the Catholic Association of Scientists and Engineers (2010—), the International Masters of Gaming Law, the

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, often shortened to the Catholic League, is an American Catholic organization whose stated purpose is to "defend the right of Catholics – lay and clergy alike – to participate in Ame ...

(Board of Advisors, 2007—), and the

International Brotherhood of Magicians International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) is an organization for both professional and amateur close-up and stage magicians, with approximately 15,000 members worldwide. The headquarters is in St. Charles, Missouri. There are over 300 lo ...

. Rychlak is on the board of directors of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools (President, 2018-2019). He serves on the board of governors of

Ave Maria School of Law Ave Maria School of Law is a private Roman Catholic law school in Vineyards, Florida. It was founded in 1999 and is accredited by the American Bar Association. The school is perennially ranked as the "most conservative" and "most devout" law scho ...

(2011—). He was appointed by the

Mississippi Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was established in the first constitution of the state following its admission as a State of the Union in 1817 and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appe ...

to be a member of the committee working on a revision of Mississippi's criminal code. He is a member of the Mississippi Advisory Committee to the

U.S. Civil Rights Commission The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (CCR) is a bipartisan, independent commission of the United States federal government, created by the Civil Rights Act of 1957 during the Eisenhower administration, that is charged with the responsibility for ...

. Rychlak serves as an advisor to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

's Permanent Observer Mission to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

on various issues of international law.Salai, S.J., Sean. "The evolving legacy of Pope Pius XII: an interview with Ronald J. Rychlak", ''America'', November 04, 2015
/ref> He is the author or co-author of twelve books. His book ''Hitler, the War, and the Pope'' addresses and refutes the claim that

failed to stand up for the victims of Nazi aggression in

. His book, ''Disinformation'', is co-authored with Ion Mihai Pacepa, the highest ranking Soviet bloc intelligence agent to ever defect to the U.S. He has also published numerous articles on social, religious, and legal subjects including criminal law, trial practice, free speech, international law, gaming law, and environmental law. He has been published in the '' Notre Dame Law Review'', ''UCLA Law Review'', ''Boston College Law Review'', and ''Stanford Environmental Law Journal'', among others. He has been a panelist for The Washington Post's "On Faith" blog, a columnist for ''Crisis'' magazine online, and is a regular contributor to

The Epoch Times ''The Epoch Times'' is a far-right international multi-language newspaper and media company affiliated with the Falun Gong new religious movement. The newspaper, based in New York City, is part of the Epoch Media Group, which also operates New ...

(2018—).

Works

* ''Hitler, the War, and the Pope'',

Our Sunday Visitor Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) is a Catholic publishing company in Huntington, Indiana, which prints the American national weekly newspaper of that name, as well as numerous Catholic periodicals, religious books, pamphlets, catechetical materials, i ...

; Rev Exp edition (May 28, 2010). *. * ''Righteous Gentiles: How Pope Pius XII Saved Half a Million Jews from the Nazis'', (Spence Publishing, 2005). * ''Clerical Sexual Misconduct: An Interdisciplinary Analysis,'' (2020); co-editor and contributor. * ''The Persecution and Genocide of Christians in the Middle East; Prevention, Prohibition, & Prosecution'', Angelico Press (2017); co-editor and contributor. * ''Looming Disaster: Top Disinformation Expert Reveals What's at Stake for the United States in the 2016 Election'', with Ion Mihai Pacepa, WND Books (2016 eBook). * ''American Law From a Catholic Perspective: Through a Clearer Lens,'' Rowman and Littlefield (2015; paperback 2016); editor and contributor. * ''Real and Demonstrative Evidence: A Real-World Practice Manual for Winning at Trial,'' third edition, Juris Publishing, Inc. (2012). * ''Environmental Law: Thompson Reuters Law for the Layperson'' with David Case. West/Thompson Reuters (2011). * ''Trial by Fury: Restoring the Common Good in Tort Litigation'', monograph 8 in the Christian Social Thought Series, The Acton Institute (2005). * ''Mississippi Criminal Trial Practice'', with Marc Harrold, Thompson/West (2004). * ''Gaming Law: Cases and Materials'', with Robert M. Jarvis, et al., Matthew Bender & Co. (2003).

Awards and honors

* 2019 Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement Award

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...

. * 2017 Ben Hardy Faculty Excellence Award

. * 2013 Pius XI Award for Social Scholarship,

. * 2012 Distinguished Service Award, Southeastern Association of Law Schools. * 2012 Lifetime Contribution to Amateur Football by the University of Mississippi Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. * 2008 Blessed Cardinal Stepinac medal

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zagreb The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zagreb ( hr, Zagrebačka nadbiskupija, la, Archidioecesis Zagrebiensis) is the central archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Croatia, centered in the capital city Zagreb. It is the metropolitan see of Croatia, an ...

for his historical work. * 2007: Honoree,

U.S. Holocaust Museum The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust hist ...

for his work with on inter-faith dialogue. * 2006: Blessed Frederic Ozanam Award for Social Action,

. * Medals for diplomatic service to the Holy See from Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

References

External links

Goldhagen vs. Pius XII
Catholic Education Resource Center

CatholiCity
Historical Dishonesty: The Big Lie of John Cornwell’s Book Hitler’s Pope
Catholic Answers
Cardinal Stepinac, Pope Pius XII, and the Roman Catholic Church During the Second World War
The Catholic Social Science Review
Will the Government Tell Christians to Shut Up?
Catholic Answers
"NOTHING IS EVER ANYBODY’S FAULT" Do We Choose to Act or Are We Merely Conditioned?
Catholic Answers
Should Catholics Be Environmentalists?
Catholic Answers
Why I Don't Hold Hands at Mass
Catholic Answers

Voices - Women for Faith and Family

The

Heartland Institute The Heartland Institute is an American conservative and libertarian public policy think tank known for its rejection of both the scientific consensus on climate change and the negative health impacts of smoking. Founded in 1984, it worked wit ...

List of publications by RychlakPius XII and the Holocaust" - a debate with Susan Zuccotti
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rychlak, Ronald J. American lawyers American legal writers History of the papacy Historians of the Catholic Church American Roman Catholics Historians of the Holocaust University of Mississippi faculty Vanderbilt University alumni Wabash College alumni Living people National Association of Scholars American people of Ukrainian descent American people of Polish descent Place of birth missing (living people) 1957 births People associated with Jenner & Block