Ronald J. Rychlak (born September 23, 1957) is an American

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyzes and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal education in law (a law degree) and often a Lawyer, legal prac ...

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

and

political commentator A pundit is a person who offers opinion in an authoritative manner on a particular subject area (typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport), usually through the mass media. The term pundit describes both women and men, altho ...

. He is a Distinguished

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

of Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law 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 (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Personal life

Rychlak attended

Wabash College Wabash College is a private liberal arts men's college located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Founded in 1832, by a group of Dartmouth College graduates and Midwestern leaders, the institution was originally named "The Wabash Teachers Seminary an ...

and received a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree ''

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 Sout ...

'' in

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

in 1980. He then attended Vanderbilt University School of Law, where he was honored with the Order of the Coif and received his

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

(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 the List of municipalities in Mississippi, 14th most populous city in Mississippi, United States, and the county seat of Lafayette County, Mississippi, Lafayette County, southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis. A college town, Oxford ...

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 in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. He is a member of the Illinois Bar. Rychlak also clerked for Judge Harry W. Wellford of the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. 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 a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

(2014—; Secretary 2017—). His memberships include the Phi Kappa Phi 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 (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 (Board of Advisors, 2007—), and the International Brotherhood of Magicians. 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 (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 1818 per the terms of the first constitution of the state and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appeals from 1832 to 1869. The court ...

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. Rychlak serves as an advisor to the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

's Permanent Observer Mission to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

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 (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, ...

; 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: Thomson Reuters Law for the Layperson'' with David Case. West/Thomson 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 (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...

. * 2017 Ben Hardy Faculty Excellence Award University of Mississippi School of Law. * 2013 Pius XI Award for Social Scholarship, Society of Catholic Social Scientists. * 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 for his historical work. * 2007: Honoree, U.S. Holocaust Museum for his work with on inter-faith dialogue. * 2006: Blessed Frederic Ozanam Award for Social Action, Society of Catholic Social Scientists. * 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
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 American 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