Local Chapter of the Catholic Bar Association  Established in the Diocese of Arlington 

Thomas More Guild for Catholic Legal Professionals Lays Out 
Aggressive First-Year Agenda

ARLINGTON, Va. - Today, the Thomas More Guild for Catholic Legal Professionals, a local chapter of the national Catholic Bar Association (CBA) for attorneys and canonists, was announced in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. The CBA is a community of legal professionals that educates, organizes and inspires its members faithfully to uphold and bear witness to the Catholic Faith in the study and practice of the law.

“Those called to the legal profession have an important responsibility to bring truth and justice to our society and to our communities,” said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Catholic Diocese of Arlington. “We know their work is not always easy and, in fact, is sometimes very challenging. We pray, through the intercession of Saint Thomas More, for courage and strength for each member, and that, guided by the Holy Spirit's gifts of wisdom and counsel, they will be faithful to the great work to which God has entrusted them.”

“Today's long-awaited announcement marks the beginning of an exciting year as we kick off the Thomas More Guild,” added Paul J. Abraham, Founder and Managing Attorney at PJI Law and President of the Thomas More Guild. “For a long time, countless Catholic legal professionals in our area have been striving to live their faith through the profession, but by being part of a larger community, they can now amplify the good they do. The opportunities for those of us serving in the legal profession to make an impact are greater when we act as a group, particularly in a culture that increasingly tries to discourage us from living out our faith in public.”

Beginning this spring, the local chapter will meet monthly and focus on the following eight primary objectives:

• Build fellowship and community among members and their families
• Engage in pro bono work supporting local Catholic ministries
• Host lectures on issues of law, faith and morality
• Provide networking opportunities for members
• Engage in public policy advocacy consistent with Catholic principles
• Participate in annual Red Mass
• Mentor and assist law school students and college students interested in legal careers
• Provide continuing education opportunities

Founding members include:

• Paul J. Abraham, J.D., President of the Guild, Founder of PJI Law

Mr. Abraham is the founder of Fairfax-based PJI Law. He has helped clients with estate planning and business law matters for over 10 years. Additionally, he has been an active participant in a number of legal pro bono programs, including Wills on Wheels, the Family Legal Assistance Project, and the Housing Law Project. Mr. Abraham earned his B.A. at Cornell University, and his Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.

• Mattias Caro, J.D., Dominion Law Group

Mr. Caro practices Estate Planning for the Dominion Law Group located in Leesburg, Virginia. He is a graduate of George Mason University School of Law and has an M.A. in Theology from Christendom College.

• Thomas Johnson, J.D., Attorney, U.S. Federal Government

Mr. Johnson has served as General Counsel of the Federal Communications Commission since October 2017. He joined the Commission after serving as Deputy Solicitor General for West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. Mr. Johnson earned his Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School.

• Father Thomas Ferguson, J.C.L., Pastor, Good Shepherd Catholic Church

Father Ferguson was ordained to the priesthood by the late Arlington Bishop John R. Keating on May 21, 1994. In 1998, Father Ferguson completed his studies in canon law at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada, receiving his Licentiate of Canon Law (J.C.L.). He earned a Ph.D. in Government (Political Philosophy) from the University of Virginia. He has been a member of the staff of the diocesan Tribunal since 1998 and has served as a judge since 2004. From October 2015 to December 2019, he served as the Vicar General of the Diocese of Arlington.

Bishop Burbidge asked Father Scott Sina, Parochial Vicar at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Arlington and former attorney, to serve as the guild's Chaplain. “Our legal system is a sacred moral commitment to the common good, and lawyers and judges participate in making it flourish,” added Father Sina. “The guild will serve as a spiritual and professional resource to strengthen their personal and public commitment to truth, justice, and mercy.”

Attorneys and canonists interested in learning more or becoming a member should contact the Thomas More Guild at Guild@tmglaw.org.

St. Thomas More, after whom the guild was named, is the patron saint of both lawyers and the Diocese of Arlington. 

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The Catholic Diocese of Arlington was established on August 13, 1974, and is home to 70 parishes and more than 460,000 Catholics. There are currently 276 priests serving in the Diocese and 49 seminarians discerning a priestly vocation. The Diocese has 37 parish (K-8) schools, four diocesan high schools, four independent Catholic schools and five free-standing (not connected with a parish school) pre-schools, serving more than 17,000 students.

Geographically, the Diocese includes the seven cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Winchester and the 21 counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, King George, Lancaster, Loudoun, Madison, Northumberland, Orange, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren and Westmoreland.