When religious groups find their backs against the wall, Mark Chopko steps in to help.
The D.C. lawyer has been providing damage control to religious organizations for more than two decades.
“My job certainly hasn’t been dull,” said Mr. Chopko. “People would call me when the train had left the rails and was on fire beside the tracks, and I help them figure out what to do.”
This week, Mr. Chopko started his new job as a partner at the D.C. offices of Philadelphia law firm Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP.
Mr. Chopko said that he became involved in religious issues by accident.
After working as an attorney for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mr. Chopko decided take some time off to work with the Conference of Catholic Bishops, the U.S. leadership body of the Roman Catholic Church.
“At the time, I wanted to do some nonprofit work for a few years, and then maybe go into the private practice, but I never thought I would make this into the career it has become,” Mr. Chopko said.
As general counsel of the Conference of Catholic Bishops, Mr. Chopko would consult with Catholic churches on litigation involving abuse and accident claims or constitutional cases involving abortion rights and the death penalty.
“Occasionally, I helped frame arguments in cases that had the potential for high media interest,” he said.
At Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, Mr. Chopko will be representing religious institutions in lawsuits and constitutional cases.
Recently, he has been asked to advise San Diego-area dioceses on any constitutional issues that might arise during bankruptcy proceedings.
“Mark is a high-quality attorney and a high-quality person and with his talents we hope to expand our nonprofit and religious-based practice to a national level,” said Kevin Boyle, chairman of the business group at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young.
Mr. Chopko expects to be very busy.
“The demands I used to have were fairly constant, and if history is a guide they probably won’t settle down,” he said.
One of the most important parts of his job is to help religious organizations reduce risk and prevent lawsuits.
“I view my job as not just fighting the fires but helping my clients find out what they can do to prevent them,” said Mr. Chopko.
“Part of the reason I became a lawyer was to try to help people and their institutions solve their problems, but I also have an intellectual interest in shaping what the law is and what it will become,” he said. “What’s great about my new position is that I can do both of those things at the same time.”
Mr. Chopko is also a professor at Georgetown University, where he teaches a seminar on church and state law.
He received his bachelor of science degree in chemistry in 1974 from the University of Scranton, Pa., and his law degree in 1977 from Cornell University Law School in Ithaca, N.Y.
Mr. Chopko lives with his wife and four children in Alexandria.
—Bryce Baschuk
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