Welcome to the website of the Orthodox Christian Attorney Network (OCAN)! We're a fellowship of Orthodox Christian attorneys (active and retired) and law students from across the country 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.
Sign up below to receive OCAN news. We look forward to connecting with you!
The Kingdom of God & the Common Good:
an Orthodox Approach to Law, Justice, and Mercy
Webinar
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026
12:00 - 1:00pm ET
Dr. Dylan Pahman, author of The Kingdom of God and the Common Good, will join OCAN to discuss an Orthodox Christian approach to law, justice, and mercy.
Other Christian traditions have developed their own modern social thought to address contemporary economic and social problems since the industrial revolution. But what about the Orthodox Tradition? From the Old Testament, to the Gospel, to Byzantium and beyond, Dr. Pahman will show how our Orthodox faith has shaped the development of law throughout history and still has much to offer for the "least of these" among us today.
Join us for this first webinar of 2026 to explore how the Orthodox tradition provides a framework for thinking about important social issues of our time. Register below for this free presentation.
Dylan Pahman is founder and president of the St. Nicholas Cabasilas Institute for Orthodoxy & Liberty, and a research fellow at the Acton Institute. He is author of The Kingdom of God and the Common Good (Ancient Faith, 2025) and Foundations of a Free & Virtuous Society (Acton Institute, 2017). In 2025, he completed his PhD in theology from St. Mary's University, Twickenham, London, on the basis of his published works on Orthodox Christian social thought and asceticism. He is husband to Kelly and father to four children: Brendan, Aidan, Erin, and Callaghan.
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Serbian St. Sava Monastery, Libertyville IL |
CLE Webinar
Friday, December 5, 2025 -- 12:00pm ET
The recording of this Webinar is available to OCAN Members here.
The Orthodox Church has had a significant role in the nation's jurisprudence on church governance and property disputes. Three U.S. Supreme Court cases involved Orthodox churches: Kedroff v. St. Nicholas Cathedral, 344 U.S. 94 (1952), Kreshik v. Saint Nicholas Cathedral of Russian Orthodox Church in America (1960), and Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese v. Milivojevich (1976). Since then, disputes arising from discord within hierarchically affiliated churches have filled the courts.
Resolving these unfortunate disagreements, which divide jurisdictions and local church communities, involve considerations of the First Amendment's Religion Clauses, nonprofit corporate governance law, trust law, and the common law governing secular voluntary associations.
This program will discuss the manner in which the law has developed to its current state and the ways in which courts have addressed intra-church disputes. It also invites a discussion of whether the U.S. Supreme Court will bring more certainty to this area of the law.
The Challenge of Leadership Theology for Christian Attorneys
by Rev. Protodeacon Peter M. Danilchick, D.H.L.
Friday, September 19, 2025
There are no exclusion zones for the Gospel. All leaders, whether in corporate or church life, must resist the impulse to compartmentalize faith from leadership. Christian attorneys are no exception. This presentation explores how subtle leadership pathologies, including moral compromise and status-driven ambition, can tempt legal professionals toward broken decision-making. In contrast, the five pillars of Christian leadership—obedience, integrity, service, sacrifice, and shepherding—offer a transformative framework rooted in Orthodox theology. These pillars can not only diagnose what's broken but also actively heal, guiding attorneys toward leadership marked by wholeness, discernment, and courage.
national orthodox Attorney Retreat
"Law, Calling, & Renewal of the Soul"
Save the Date!
April 24-26, 2026
St. Iakavos Retreat Center, Kansasville, WI
Join fellow Orthodox attorneys for a weekend of rest, renewal, and fellowship! Come to the beautiful St. Iakavos Retreat Center to learn together and reflect on our calling as attorneys and servants of Christ. Through thought-provoking sessions, worship, and time spent with colleagues who share your faith and vocation, this retreat offers an opportunity to (re)discover peace and joy in your work and career. The retreat center is in a peaceful waterfront spot between Milwaukee’s Mitchell Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
CLE Webinar
August 1, 2025
Dcn. Kenneth Liu
Executive Director, Orthodox Christian Attorney Network
Whether you serve on a parish or diocesan/metropolis council, provide informal guidance to a parish, or simply want to be aware of issues that a church should know about, we welcome you to this webinar on top legal issues faced by churches. This introductory webinar provides an overview of top legal issues all Orthodox parishes should be familiar with, including: Church Governance; Parish Leader Fiduciary Obligations; Youth Protection; Clergy-Penitent Privilege; Insurance; Copyright; Property; and Liability protection.
Sign up for our newsletter to learn about upcoming OCAN activities and stay informed on the work being done to serve Orthodox attorneys, the Orthodox Church, and our world.
We invite all Orthodox attorneys to join OCAN for spiritual growth, professional development, and building meaningful relationships with fellow Orthodox Christians in the legal field. Membership is currently free!
We greatly appreciate your support! Our work is supported entirely by members and others who believe in our mission. Your contribution is crucial for building 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.
“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.