Ferrara was born on January 6, 1952, in New York City. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University and a Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law. He engaged in general legal practice in both New Jersey and New York between 1977 and 1991. After founding the American Catholic Lawyers Association in 1990, he focused on pro-bono legal work representing Catholics as well as anti-abortion activists
