Marcelo Orive

Marcelo Orive González is a Guatemalan jurist and university professor specializing in jurisprudence and International Family Law. He is currently a PhD Candidate in Philosophy of Law at the University of Navarra (Spain), under joint supervision with Notre Dame University (USA). His doctoral research focuses on the renewal of private law through John Finnis’s theory of basic human goods in critical dialogue with Ernest Weinrib’s legal formalism.

As associate member of the VITA Research Center, he leads research and training initiatives on Natural Law and its application to contemporary challenges regarding life, family, and human rights. He has coordinated international academic conferences, summer programs, and research colloquia, fostering networks of collaboration among universities and research centers in Latin America and Europe.

His work bridges academic research with institutional practice, aiming to connect Catholic legal thought, practical philosophy, and current debates in life, family, property, and obligations. His research interests include the foundations of human rights in natural law, critical analysis of international human rights systems, and the transmission of the classical legal tradition to new generations.

He has participated in international conferences on Philosophy of Law and Natural Law, presenting papers on topics such as new Natural Law, the teaching of natural law, and the theory of private law. He also plays an active role in teaching and mentoring, guiding young jurists in research and academic leadership.