William Bentley Ball

William Bentley Ball was one of the nation's foremost Catholic constitutional lawyers. He died in 2000.

recent articles

First Amendment Watch: A Chance to Untangle the Law

On November 30, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case in which, once again, it will rule for the nation on the meaning and effect of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. The New York Times has expressed horror that the Court would venture to take up the case. But at the very least Grumet … Read more

God Save This Honorable Court: First Monday—Last Chance

Lawyers in America look with keen interest each year to “First Monday”—the first Monday of October when a new term of the Supreme Court of the United States opens. In the term’s starting week the Court will disgorge a mass of orders in pending cases—mainly orders announcing the fate of cases which petitioners’ have asked … Read more

A Noble Compromise: Abortion and Religious Liberty

A crisis of unusual character is looming in the Congress. The crisis will see Jews pitted against Catholics, Catholics against evangelicals, evangelicals against evangelicals—and Unitarians, Muslims, American Humanists, and American Indian groups will also join the fray. The subject will be a bill presented by Congressman Stephen Solarz (D., N.Y.), who claims that religious liberty … Read more

The Tempting of Robert Bork: What’s a Constitution Without Natural Law?

Robert H. Bork continues to be vilified and acclaimed. The vilification has somewhat diminished now that Bork’s enemies have eliminated him as a candidate for the Supreme Court. Doubtless, too, many vilifiers, unable to feel shame over their harassment of Bork, have nonetheless felt embarrassment. The public, especially since Bork’s best-selling counterattack, The Tempting of … Read more

The Church-State Debate: A Secularist Establishment Anyone?

Since Catholics these days seem not too sure of what is good for Catholics (or indeed who “Catholics” really are), my heart leapt when I glanced at the subhead of Mr. Menendez’s article, which promised to say why something or other would be “good” for Catholics. The full title further excited my interest: the thing … Read more

Faith and Freedom

The synthesis of the responses of 110 presidents of Catholic colleges and universities to the proposed Vatican schema on such institutions covers a wide range of points. [See “Catholic College and University Presidents Respond to Proposed Vatican Schema,” Origins, April 10, 1986.] Abounding with references to “cultural pluralism,” “academic freedom,” “ecumenical realities,” and “Catholic character,” … Read more

Curran, Dissent, & Rome: A Symposium

Little has been said of potential legal developments relating to the present controversy over Fr. Charles Curran. Bishop William H. Hughes, Chairman of USCC’s Committee of Bishops and Catholic College and University Presidents, was quoted in NC News (November 21) as saying that he was in possession of two “legal briefs” on the matter, which … Read more

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