Legal Research

Redeeming Law: Article about Christian Law Schools

Redeeming Law
In a cynical society suspicious of lawyers, Christian law schools are decidedly not.
Tim Stafford | posted 8/15/2008 08:44AM

Excerpt:
Until the 1970s, many Americans assumed that they shared a Christian culture, and nowhere was that attitude more pervasive or complacent than in law. Whether in church-related schools or not, law students studied the same basic elements of law set down by Harvard Law in the 1870s: property, contracts, criminal law, civil procedure, evidence, and torts. There was no distinctively Christian way to consider these; people assumed the law was fundamentally compatible with Christian thinking.

Roe v. Wade trashed that assumption, launching culture wars and struggles over religious liberty. Groups like the American Center for Law and Justice sprang up in response, going to court in defense of Christian causes. Gradually, Christian lawyers expanded their thinking beyond controversial court cases. They began to wonder what had become of their profession.

Sam Casey, executive director of the Christian Legal Society (cls), says he was typical when he started law school at the University of San Francisco, a Jesuit institution, in the '60s: "I wanted to make it in America." Law offered money, influence, and a membership at the country club. If some entered law school with higher ideals, the intensely competitive grind tended to wear them down. It seemed that success in the law could be measured in billable hours.

Today, Casey sees a "big change in the type of law students. They are coming to law school with a serious faith." Such students form the core of cls chapters at many law schools; they also feed distinctively Christian law schools.

Read the entire article at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/august/24.34.html

The University of Minnesota Law School has a chapter of the Christian Legal Society (CLS):
The University of Minnesota Christian Legal Society (CLS) is a non-denominational group of Christian law students seeking to integrate the Christian faith with their studies and careers. It is affiliated with the national Christian Legal Society, an Illinois-based, non-profit corporation with its principal offices in Annandale, Va. Although CLS is a Christian organization, it welcomes all religious denominations and traditions.

CLS engages in a variety of on-campus activities. It hosts events each semester where experts on various issues of faith and law come to the law school to discuss or debate their views. Several Bible studies occur on a weekly basis and are tailored to the needs of law students. This organization provides invaluable networking opportunities with local Christian attorneys, including volunteer opportunities with local legal aid groups. It also helps new students find churches to call home. Throughout the semester, it also sponsors social events where Christian law students have a chance to take a break from the demands of school and connect with each other. All of these events are open to the entire law school community.

Full post as published by LexLibris on August 19, 2008 (boomark / email).