The patron saint of lawyers and attorneys is St. Ivo (or Yves) of Kermartin (1253–1303), a lawyer and priest from Brittany who became famous as “the advocate of the poor” because he defended people who could not pay. St. Thomas More, the English lawyer and statesman who gave his life rather than betray his conscience, is the other great patron of the legal profession. Below are their stories, other saints for lawyers, judges and law students, the tradition of the Red Mass, and prayers for lawyers and for a court case.
A short prayer to St. Ivo, written for this page:
St. Ivo, advocate of the poor, you served justice with honesty and charity.
Pray for all lawyers and judges, that they may seek the truth,
defend the weak, and never sell their conscience.
St. Ivo, pray for us. Amen.
St. Ivo of Kermartin, patron saint of lawyers
Ivo Hélory was born on October 17, 1253, at the manor of Kermartin near Tréguier in Brittany, the son of a minor noble family. He studied civil law at the University of Paris and canon law at Orléans, and became the official, or judge of the Church court, first for the archdeacon of Rennes (1280) and then for the bishop of Tréguier (1284). He was known for his complete honesty, his refusal of bribes, and his habit of pleading the cases of widows, orphans and poor people without a fee, even paying their costs himself. He is said to have tried first to reconcile the parties in a quarrel, so that they would not need to go to court at all.
Ordained a priest, Ivo served as parish priest of Trédrez and then Louannec, living in great poverty, giving away his food and clothing, and preaching constantly. He died on May 19, 1303, and was canonized by Pope Clement VI in 1347.
Lawyers have long enjoyed a medieval Latin verse about him, quoted in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia:
Sanctus Ivo erat Brito,
Advocatus et non latro,
Res miranda populo.
“St. Ivo was a Breton, a lawyer and not a thief: a thing for people to marvel at!”
Every year on the Sunday nearest his feast, May 19, the Pardon of St. Yves at Tréguier draws lawyers and judges from many countries, who walk in procession with his relics.
St. Thomas More
St. Thomas More (1478–1535) was a brilliant London lawyer, judge and writer who rose to become Lord Chancellor of England. When King Henry VIII broke with Rome, More refused to swear the oath that recognized the king as head of the Church in England. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London and beheaded on July 6, 1535, saying that he died “the king’s good servant, but God’s first.” Pope St. John Paul II named him patron of statesmen and politicians in 2000, and many Catholic lawyers’ guilds, the St. Thomas More Societies, are named after him. His feast is June 22. See the St. Thomas More prayer.
Other patron saints for the law
- St. Raymond of Penyafort (January 7), the Dominican canonist who compiled the Church’s laws for Pope Gregory IX, patron of canon lawyers.
- St. Alphonsus Liguori (August 1), a successful Naples lawyer before he became a priest and founder. See St. Alphonsus Liguori.
- St. Michael the Archangel, patron of police officers and of all who defend the innocent. See the St. Michael prayer.
- St. Joseph, the just man, invoked by those who seek justice for their families.
The Red Mass
Since the Middle Ages, lawyers and judges have gathered at the beginning of the court year for a Mass of the Holy Spirit, asking for wisdom and justice in their work. It is called the Red Mass after the red vestments worn for the Holy Spirit. In the United States the best-known Red Mass is celebrated in Washington, D.C., on the Sunday before the Supreme Court’s term opens in October, often attended by justices and government officials. Many dioceses hold their own. See the Come Holy Spirit prayer.
Prayers for lawyers
Written for this page.
A lawyer’s prayer
Lord God, source of all justice,
through the prayers of St. Ivo and St. Thomas More,
give me wisdom to understand the law, honesty in every word I speak and write,
courage to defend the truth, and compassion for those I serve.
Let me never twist the truth for gain, and let my work help bring peace.
Amen.
A prayer for judges
Holy Spirit, give our judges wisdom, fairness and courage.
Help them to hear every side with patience,
to judge without fear or favor, and to protect the weak. Amen.
Before a court case
Lord, you know the truth of this case better than anyone.
Give me peace and a clear mind, help me to speak honestly,
guide the judge and all who decide, and let justice be done.
St. Ivo, advocate of the poor, pray for me. Amen.
For law students
Lord, bless my studies and give me a love for justice.
Through the prayers of St. Ivo, help me to work hard, think clearly,
and use what I learn to serve others. Amen.
Scripture on justice
The charge given to King Lamuel by his mother (Proverbs 31:8–9):
Open thy mouth for the dumb, and for the causes of all the children that pass.
Open thy mouth, decree that which is just, and do justice to the needy and poor.
And the prophet Micheas (Micah 6:8):
I will shew thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Verily, to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk solicitous with thy God.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of lawyers?
St. Ivo (Yves) of Kermartin, the “advocate of the poor,” whose feast is May 19. St. Thomas More is also widely honored as patron of lawyers.
Who is the patron saint of attorneys?
The same: St. Ivo, with St. Thomas More.
Who is the patron saint of law students?
Law students often take St. Ivo or St. Thomas More, and St. Thomas Aquinas, patron of students.
Who is the patron saint of judges?
St. Ivo, who served as a Church judge, is invoked by judges as well as lawyers.
More patron saints
- Patron saints of professions
- St. Thomas More prayer
- St. Alphonsus Liguori
- St. Michael prayer
- Unusual patron saints
- Come Holy Spirit prayer
Texts and sources
- Proverbs 31:8–9 and Micheas 6:8 (Douay-Rheims).
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “St. Ives,” by A. A. MacErlean, public domain (Wikisource), including the Latin verse.