St. Ivo is patron saint of lawyers because of the great lengths he went to in order to serve his clients and the poor.

He was born to an aristocratic family in Brittany in 1253, in the northwest part of France. As a teenager, he was sent to schools in Paris, where he excelled as a student, and went on to study law under a famous jurist in Orleans. As a student, he began to practice self-mortification in order to discipline his will—he abstained from meat and wine, ate only bread and water during Lent and Advent, and slept on a simple straw mat.

When he completed his training in the law, he took on a role judging cases that came before the Church’s court in a nearby diocese. He used his position to protect orphans and defend the poor, and he did so with such charity and kindness that he reconciled many of those who lost their cases to his decision.

He was recalled to serve the bishop in his home diocese in Brittany, where he continued to defend the marginalized; he became known as “the poor man’s advocate.” When his clients faced charges in civil courts, he would defend them there, too, and would visit them in prison and even pay their expenses. He went to great lengths to reconcile opposing parties so that they would not argue the case in court and begin unnecessary and costly lawsuits. It was customary in his culture to offer bribes and presents to lawyers, even before engaging their representation, but Ivo never accepted these gifts.

In 1284, Ivo was ordained a priest, and three years later, he left his practice of the law to dedicate all of his energy to his parishioners. He built a hospital and worked there himself to help care for the sick. He often gave the clothes off of his back to people he found on the street. Ivo once found a homeless man sleeping on his doorstep, and insisted that the man sleep in his bed inside; Ivo himself took the man’s place sleeping on the doorstep.

Ivo was a great preacher, and would visit other churches to speak to congregations there. After 15 years of leading people as a priest, he died of an illness on this date in 1303. He was 50 years old.

St. Ivo is depicted in stained glass windows from the Basilica. He is also depicted with the symbol of the bread he shared with the poor in this imagery from the exterior of the Eck Hall of Law on campus. View a FaithND prayer card for lawyers that asks for St. Ivo’s intercession here.

St. Ivo, you were known as “the poor man’s advocate” and are patron saint of lawyers—pray for us!