Gibbons Chairman and Managing Director Honored with Seton Hall University School of Law’s Saint Thomas More Medal

The Seton Hall University School of Law has bestowed the 2015 Saint Thomas More Medal upon Patrick C. Dunican Jr., Chairman and Managing Director of Gibbons P.C. Mr. Dunican was honored at the 31st Annual Red Mass on September 18, 2015, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, with many past Medal award recipients in attendance, including John J. Gibbons.

Mr. Dunican’s award honors his commitment to the law school, the legal profession, and the greater community. A nationally recognized law firm leader, Mr. Dunican has been featured as one of Law360’s most innovative law firm managing partners and has been selected for five consecutive years to the NJBIZ “Power 100” list of the 100 most powerful people in New Jersey business. In 2007, he was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst & Young for his work building and leading a dynamic and growing professional services company.

A 1991 graduate of Seton Hall Law, Mr. Dunican serves as Chair of Seton Hall Law’s Board of Visitors and Co-Chair of the Law School’s Strategic Planning Committee. He previously served as Co-Chair of the Seton Hall Law Rising Campaign, which was publicly launched in 2007 and exceeded its goal of raising $25 million for the law school.

He also serves on the Board of Legal Trustees and as Chair of the College’s Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee for his alma mater, Iona College. In 2013, he was honored with the Iona College Legacy Award in recognition of his extensive community outreach and charitable work. Also in 2013, he served as the Grand Marshal of the Newark St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Mr. Dunican is a member of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, a former Vice President of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, a founding member of the Irish American Bar Association of New Jersey, and a member of the President’s Council of the Valley Hospital Foundation.

History of the Red Mass
Named from the red vestments used in celebrating the Mass and from the red robes worn by judges in the Middle Ages, the Red Mass is traditionally a Solemn Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit celebrated at the beginning of the judicial year to invoke God’s blessing and guidance in the administration of justice. In accordance with a practice dating back to the 13th century, the celebrants – government officials, lawyers, and judges – would proceed into a church clothed in red vestments or red garments, signifying the fire of the Holy Spirit’s guidance to those who pursue justice in their daily lives. The first Red Mass in the United States took place in New York City in 1928, celebrated at old St. Andrew’s Church on Duane Street by His Eminence Patrick Cardinal Hayes, who strongly encouraged and supported the legal community’s involvement in spreading the Word of God. Since that time, many groups of Catholic attorneys have continued to organize the Red Mass annually. Currently celebrated in dioceses throughout the United States, it is the 31st annual Red Mass for Seton Hall University School of Law.

Pictured from left to right: Dean Kathleen Boozang, Archbishop John J. Myers, Patrick C. Dunican