Ave Maria School of Law Professor D. Brian Scarnecchia recently returned from the Philippines, where he brought his scholarship in jurisprudence, natural law, constitutional theory and bioethics to legal scholars, policymakers, Church leaders and Catholic audiences.

At the University of Asia and the Pacific School of Law in Manila, Scarnecchia delivered a lecture examining constitutional interpretation through the lens of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

The lecture explored originalism, textualism and common good constitutionalism, including the amicus brief filed in Dobbs by legal philosophers John Finnis and Robert P. George and how their approach compares with Harvard Law Professor Adrian Vermeule’s theory of common good constitutionalism.

Joining Scarnecchia as reactor was Fr. Ranhilio C. Aquino, Dean of the San Beda University School of Law in Manila. The forum attracted an audience of constitutional and philosophy scholars, pro-life advocates, Church leaders, policymakers, members of the media and government officials, including the Parliamentarian of the Philippine Senate.

The event provided an international forum for questions that are central to Scarnecchia’s scholarship and teaching at Ave Maria Law: How should judges interpret a constitution? What role do text, history and underlying principles play in that interpretation? And how should lawyers understand the relationship among law, morality and the common good?

At Ave Maria Law, Scarnecchia teaches Jurisprudence, Origins of the Constitution, Bioethics & the Law, and Catholic Social Teaching & the Law. His scholarship and teaching encompass natural law, constitutional theory, international human rights and bioethics, bringing together areas of inquiry closely connected to Ave Maria Law’s commitment to the Catholic intellectual tradition.

An International Scholarly Reach

The Philippines is the latest stop in Scarnecchia’s extensive international academic work. He has lectured and participated in scholarly engagements in Canada, England, Italy, Austria, Spain, Poland, Chile, China, Malaysia and Australia, addressing questions involving law, human rights, bioethics and the natural law tradition.

His visit to Manila also created an opportunity to bring those conversations to a broader public audience.

Prior to his lecture at UA&P, Scarnecchia was interviewed by Adrian Milag, a prominent Catholic podcaster in the Philippines whose YouTube channel reaches an audience of more than 250,000.

Their wide-ranging conversation explored the intersection of law and morality, Church and state, contraception, abortion and pro-life issues, marriage and family.

The visit may also lead to continued academic collaboration between Scarnecchia and legal scholars in the Philippines. Following the UA&P lecture, Aquino invited Scarnecchia to teach an online course for students at San Beda University School of Law.

For Scarnecchia, the Philippines visit was part of a scholarly career that has consistently examined some of the most consequential questions at the intersection of law, morality and human dignity. It also provided another opportunity for Ave Maria Law scholarship to contribute to an international conversation about the foundations and purposes of law.

Through faculty scholarship and engagement at home and abroad, Ave Maria School of Law continues its mission to educate lawyers who understand that the study and practice of law involve not only technical proficiency, but also serious consideration of justice, truth and the common good.