(239) 687-5300
John Czarnetzky
Chief Executive Officer and Dean
Bankruptcy Law
Business Associations
Business Law
Catholic Social Thought
Civil Procedure
Commercial Law
Corporate Reorganizations
International Law
International Law and the Holy See
Law & Religion
Secured Transactions
Treaty Negotiations
United Nations Policy & Advocacy
- (239) 687-5305
- jczar@avemarialaw.edu
Dean John M. Czarnetzky is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (B.S., 1982, Chemistry) and the University of Virginia (J.D., 1989).
Before law school, Dean Czarnetzky was an officer in the United States Army, where he served as an intelligence analyst, specializing in foreign chemical, biological and nuclear capabilities. After law school, he practiced bankruptcy and commercial law with Sidley & Austin in Chicago, and McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe in Richmond, Virginia.
Dean Czarnetzky joined the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1994, teaching courses in bankruptcy, corporate reorganizations, secured transactions, civil procedure, and business associations. At “Ole Miss,” he was the five-time winner of the “Outstanding Law School Professor,” and in 2016, he was the recipient of the Elsie M. Hood Award for the “Outstanding Professor at the University of Mississippi,” the highest honor awarded to faculty members at the University of Mississippi.
Dean Czarnetzky also serves as a legal adviser to the Holy See’s Mission to the United Nations, representing the Holy See in negotiations, including establishing the International Criminal Court and several international treaties, including one on the rights of persons with disabilities.
Dean Czarnetzky is a lay member of the Dominican Order and a third-degree Knight of Columbus.
Biography
Dean John M. Czarnetzky serves as Dean and CEO of Ave Maria School of Law, where he also teaches and writes in the areas of bankruptcy, business law, civil procedure, secured transactions, and corporate reorganizations.
Dean Czarnetzky earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1982 before receiving his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia in 1989.
Before attending law school, Dean Czarnetzky served as an officer in the United States Army. During his military service, he worked as an intelligence analyst specializing in foreign chemical, biological, and nuclear capabilities.
Following graduation from law school, Dean Czarnetzky practiced bankruptcy and commercial law with Sidley & Austin in Chicago and later with McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe in Richmond, Virginia.
In 1994, Dean Czarnetzky joined the faculty of the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he taught courses in bankruptcy, corporate reorganizations, secured transactions, civil procedure, and business associations. He became widely recognized for his teaching excellence, receiving the Outstanding Law School Professor award five times during his tenure. In 2016, he was awarded the Elsie M. Hood Award for Outstanding Professor at the University of Mississippi, the university’s highest honor recognizing faculty achievement.
Dean Czarnetzky also serves as a legal adviser to the Holy See’s Mission to the United Nations. Through this work, he has represented the Holy See in negotiations involving international law and treaty development, including discussions concerning the establishment of the International Criminal Court and international agreements involving the rights of persons with disabilities.
His scholarly and professional interests include bankruptcy law, commercial transactions, business organizations, Catholic social thought, international legal issues, and the relationship between law, ethics, and human dignity.
Dean Czarnetzky is a lay member of the Dominican Order and a Third Degree Knight of Columbus. As Dean and CEO of Ave Maria School of Law, he has emphasized academic excellence, institutional growth, professional formation, and the integration of faith and reason within legal education.
Education
- J.D., University of Virginia, 1989
- B.S., Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1982
Professional Experience
Dean John M. Czarnetzky serves as Dean and CEO of Ave Maria School of Law.
Before entering the legal profession, Dean Czarnetzky served as an officer in the United States Army, where he worked as an intelligence analyst specializing in foreign chemical, biological, and nuclear capabilities.
Following law school, he practiced bankruptcy and commercial law with Sidley & Austin in Chicago and McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe in Richmond, Virginia.
In 1994, Dean Czarnetzky joined the faculty of the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he taught bankruptcy, corporate reorganizations, secured transactions, civil procedure, and business associations. During his tenure at Ole Miss, he received the Outstanding Law School Professor award five times and later received the Elsie M. Hood Award for Outstanding Professor at the University of Mississippi, the university’s highest faculty honor.
In addition to his academic work, Dean Czarnetzky serves as a legal adviser to the Holy See’s Mission to the United Nations. In that role, he has participated in negotiations concerning international law and treaty development, including matters involving the International Criminal Court and international agreements addressing the rights of persons with disabilities.
Honors & Professional Affiliations
- Recipient, Elsie M. Hood Award for Outstanding Professor, University of Mississippi (2016)
- Five-Time Recipient, Outstanding Law School Professor Award, University of Mississippi School of Law
- Legal Adviser, Holy See’s Mission to the United Nations
- Lay Member, Dominican Order
- Third Degree Knight of Columbus
- Former Commercial Law Attorney, Sidley & Austin
- Former Commercial Law Attorney, McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe