In 2013, the Pontifical Council for the Family (PCF), as it then was, and “The Union of Catholic Jurists” cohosted an international conference, in Rome, entitled: “The Rights of the Family and the Challenges of the Contemporary World.” At the time, Geoffrey Bedford Strickland* and Michael Vacca* were working for the PCF.

Dr. Jane Adolphe*, who worked for Ave Maria School of Law and the Papal Secretariat of State, Section for Relations with State, at the time, was invited to co-moderate the session on “The Family from the International Political Perspective.” She presented the outcome action points of this meeting to the plenary session, one of which was the establishment of a website to compile, store, and share resources with other non-governmental organizations, and activists working within international and regional human rights systems on issues pertaining to family, life, and religious freedom.

In 2014, a website was launched under the auspices of The International Center on Law, Life, Faith and Family (ICOLF), and shortly, thereafter, ICOLF made its debut at the United Nations in New York, during the Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of Family. From 2014 to 2021, ICOLF slowly developed into an international forum that gathered a steady group of legal scholars who met with key scholars from various disciplines. As a result, the name was changed from ICOLF to the International Catholic Jurists Forum (ICJF).

From 2013 to the present day, ICJF has grown to include Executive Director, Dr. Jane Adolphe*, Director, Michael Vacca*, Fellow Marissa Eckelkamp*, IT expert, Brian Hildebrand, and a strong group of advisors all of which have supported or directly assisted in the organization or co-organization of many conferences in the USA, Poland and Rome and the completion of various book projects.

In 2013 (19-20 September), the Pontifical Council for the Family and The Union of Catholic Jurists cohosted an International Conference, in Rome, entitled The Rights of the Family and the Challenges of the Contemporary World.

At this conference, Professor Jane Adolphe of Ave Maria School of Law, co-moderated the session on The Family from the International Political Perspective and later presented its outcome action points to the plenary session, one of which was the establishment of a website presence to compile, store, and share resources with other non-governmental organizations, and activists working within international and regional human rights systems on issues pertaining to family, life, and religious freedom.
A website was launched under the auspices of The International Center on Law, Life, Faith and Family (ICOLF) the following year, at the United Nations in New York, during the Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of Family, in 2014.

From 2014 to 2021, ICOLF slowly developed into an international forum for Catholic jurists and scholars to study pertinent issues of the day touching on law, life, faith, and family:

  • persecution and genocide of Christians;
  • the nature and meaning of equality and non-discrimination;
  • the global compacts on migration and refugees;
  • the nature and meaning of international human rights; and
  • Clerical sexual misconduct.

Over the years, numerous international expert meetings and strategy sessions have been held at Ave Maria School Law in Naples, Florida or at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, in Warsaw. Outcome initiatives have included the publication of books and the creation of expert coalitions and related initiatives.

In 2021, the name of ICOLF was changed to The International Catholic Jurists Forum (ICJF) to better reflect its principal work of providing a meeting place for Catholic jurists and scholars from around the globe.

* qualified laywer