St. Thomas More
Patron Saint of Lawyers
St. Thomas More was born in 1478 and became a renowned English lawyer, philosopher, and statesman. He was eventually appointed Lord High Chancellor of England under King Henry VIII. When he refused to accept the king as head of the Church of England, he was convicted of treason and sentenced to death. Before his execution in 1535, his last words reportedly were, "I die the king's good servant, and God's first." Because of St. Thomas More’s courageous actions, Pope John Paul II declared him the Patron of Statesmen and Politicians in 2000.