Welcome to the website of the Orthodox Christian Attorney Network! We're a fellowship of Orthodox Christian attorneys and law students from across the United States who share a desire to build relationships and learn to serve our Lord through the legal profession.
OCAN is not just another professional association. We'd like to help make your legal career a part of your life journey in Christ. As St. Paul said, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17).
We invite you to join us for what we hope will be a career-transforming journey. Check out our website to learn more about our history, mission, and purposes.
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Thoughts from the Bench:
A "Fireside Chat" with Three Orthodox Judges
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Ever wonder what life and work is like on the other side of the bench? Join us for an informative discussion among three distinguished Orthodox judges at different stages of their judicial careers. Among the topics to be addressed are:
- What are some of the biggest joys and challenges of serving as a judge?
- How does one prepare to become a judge?
- How does being a person of faith affect being a judge?
- Advice for litigators from the perspective of a judge
- Advice for anyone interested in becoming a judge
Panel of Judges:
Honorable Nada Kosanovich Sizemore
Connecticut Superior Court (retired)
Honorable Steven Counelis
Superior Court of the State of California, County of Riverside
Honorable Rose Marie Karadsheh Preddy
Seventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
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Icon of Extreme Humility |
Thoughts on Humility
for Orthodox Christian Attorneys
Speaker: Lory Barsdate Easton
Thursday, April 10, 2025
In the Lenten prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian, we ask the Lord to give us the spirit of humility. What is humility, and what does it mean to be humble as a lawyer? This webinar will discuss the virtue of humility, touching on Orthodox teachings and recent psychological research, and will explore challenges for lawyers seeking to grow closer to Christ through humility.
We will discuss some of the specific pitfalls for lawyers, including:
- the competitive and adversarial aspects of the profession,
- the encouragement to be self-promoting as "marketing,"
- the temptations of specialized knowledge, prestige, and power, and
- the dangers of stress and burnout
We also will consider some examples of humility in action in legal practice. Entering Holy Week, Orthodox Christians are brought face-to-face with the icon depicting the Extreme Humility of Christ. Join us before Lent ends to consider how our Lord Himself tolerated shame and injustice – to the grave – and what that means for us as lawyers.
Lory Barsdate Easton has worked as an ombudsman investigator for the State of Alaska before attending Yale Law School, and she then spent over 25 years in Big Law as a litigator in mass torts defense. After retirement, Lory earned her Masters in Clinical Psychology from Divine Mercy University, a Roman Catholic graduate school in Virginia.
KEEP IN TOUCH
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SUPPORT OCAN
Your support is crucial for laying a solid foundation for our ministry as we inspire Orthodox attorneys to live out their lives and careers fully for Christ, serve the Orthodox Church, and make a positive impact on our nation and the world.
Thank you to all who contributed toward our Founder's Circle Campaign in our inaugural year in 2024! We're grateful for your support of OCAN's mission.
“The emergence of the Orthodox Christian Attorney Network is a long-awaited and happy development for Orthodox Christianity in the United States. Creating this national pan-Orthodox professional community will clearly enhance the presence of Orthodox Christianity in the legal and judicial systems of our culture, and reinforce the principles and values of our holy faith among an important and underserved portion of our faithful. Having Orthodox Christian leaders in the legal community will doubtless enhance the quality of legal thinking in the United States, and provide a much-needed support system for faithful lawyers around the country. We look forward to the many blessings that will emerge within and because of OCAN.”
- Eric S. Namee, Managing Member, Hinkle Law Firm and President, Virginia H. Farah Foundation
The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. All content on this site is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon without seeking legal advice from one’s own attorney. Use of this website does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader and OCAN or any authors. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the content of this site are expressly disclaimed.