Fairfield University's St. Thomas More Lecture series features speakers addressing social and political issues from a traditional Catholic intellectual perspective. The 2011 lecture, taking place Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m., will consider the incorporation of Catholic Social Teaching in the professions of medicine and law.

Entitled "Practice of Medicine, Practice of Law: Practices of Faith," the free, public event will be a panel discussion featuring the expertise of Gerald J. Russello, a partner at Bingham McCutchen LLP, a New York City law firm, and Dr. Robert F. Scanlon, Jr., chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Huntington Hospital on Long Island.

Held in the Kelley Center Presentation Room, it is co-sponsored by the university's Center for Faith and Public Life and the Golden Stags, a group of Fairfield alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago.

The Center for Faith and Public Life is where students, scholars, policy makers, and religious leaders converse and reflect on the many issues where religion intersects with civic life. It is anchored in the rich traditions of Catholic social thought and Jesuit spirituality.

The panelists are:

Gerald J. Russello whose practice at Bingham McCutchen focuses on representation of financial institutions and individuals in government investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, state securities regulators, and self-regulatory organizations such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. He has written widely on the Catholic intellectual traditions as well as the law, and is the editor of a collection of works by the Catholic historian Christopher Dawson. He also serves as a fellow of the Chesterton Institute at Seton Hall University. He received a law degree from New York University School of Law, and a bachelor's degree in the classics from Georgetown University.

Dr. Robert F. Scanlon, Jr. describes himself as "a father and an obstetrician who believes in the premise that all of God's created have a right to dignity manifested in life, liberty and the capacity to pursue happiness." He earned a medical degree from Wake Forest University, an MBA from Duke University and a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Bucknell University.

Refreshments will be provided prior to the lecture courtesy of the Golden Stags.

For more information, contact the Center for Faith and Public Life at (203) 254-4000, ext. 3415, or visit www.fairfield.edu/cfpl .

Image: Rev. Richard Ryscavage, S.J., director of the Center for Faith and Public Life.

Posted On: 03-25-2011 11:03 AM

Volume: 43 Number: 254