Special Assistant to the Dean and Affiliate Faculty Member
Education
- AB, Georgetown University
- JD, Southwestern University School of Law
- MA, Loyola University Chicago
- STB, Facultés Loyola Paris
- M2, Université de Strasbourg
Background
Fernando C. Saldivar, S.J. is Special Assistant to the Dean and Affiliate Faculty in Human Rights at LMU Loyola Law School. He is a Roman Catholic priest and a member of the Society of Jesus, USA West province. Prior to becoming a Jesuit in 2016, Fr. Saldivar spent more than a decade in private litigation practice here in Southern California following his graduation from Southwestern University School of Law in 2005, so he is intimately familiar with the Los Angeles legal community both from a student’s perspective and as a practitioner.
In addition to his JD, Fr. Saldivar holds an AB in History from Georgetown University and an MA in Social Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago. He also has a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) from Facultés Loyola Paris in France and a Master’s (M2) in Catholic Theology from the University of Strasbourg.
Fr. Saldivar previously served as the Global Policy Officer for the Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network (JENA) in Nairobi, Kenya and has been a Visiting Scholar in the Department of Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago. Given his experience and background, his work is interdisciplinary by nature and is at the intersection of law, human rights, international relations, and theological ethics. He has been published in the Columbia Human Rights Law Review, Ethics & International Affairs, and the African Journal of International Economic Law. Fr. Saldivar has served as a contributor for Commonweal magazine.
At Loyola, Fr. Saldivar works closely with Professor Cesare P.R. Romano and the International Human Rights Center.
In addition to his work at Loyola Law School, Fr. Saldivar serves as the Minister of the LMU Jesuit Community. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Kino Border Initiative and the Loyola Institute of Spiritualty in Orange. Fr. Saldivar is also a proud member of the Consultative School Board of Bishop Mora Salesian High School in Boyle Heights.