The name "Brehon" is anglicized from the Irish "breitheamh". The word breitheamh is derived from the word breith, meaning "judgement". The Brehon Laws are the oldest known European laws. The Brehons of ancient Ireland were wise men of the family who memorized and applied the laws to settle disputes among members of the family.

The Philadelphia Brehon Law Society is a professional association organized to foster the profession of law among individuals of Irish ancestry. The Society is comprised of Judges, lawyers and law students and their friends. Brehon was chosen as the original name of the Society when it was founded 1976. The Society provides forums for educational, cultural and social activities concerning Irish heritage and tradition. The Society also seeks to promote closer affiliations between the bench, the bar, students of law and the community, and to further a high standard of legal ethics.

Since the time the Society was founded, it has grown from a handful of lawyers to over 500 members and now has branches in law schools in the Delaware Valley area. One of our goals is to encourage the active participation of our younger members.

Every year the Society selects an individual to receive The Brehon of the Year Award. Honorees are selected for their outstanding contributions to the mission and ideals of the Brehon Law Society. Recent honorees include:

• Seamus Mallon, Deputy Minister of the Northern Ireland Government (1999)
• Mary McAleese, President of Ireland (2000)
• Sean O'Huiginn, Ireland's Ambassador to the United States (2001)
• John Timoney, Former Police Commissioner of Philadelphia (2002)
• Robert A. Brady, United States Congressman (2003)

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