The Christian Legal Society is an American non-profit, non-denominational organization of Christian lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students and friends whose members profess to follow the "commandment of Jesus" to "seek justice with the love of God." The society has a legal arm, The Center for Law & Religious Freedom, for litigation purposes especially in favor of religious freedom, submitting amicus curiae legal briefs in cases involving important religious freedom issues, representing parties in religious liberty issues, and legislative work. CLS publications include The Christian Lawyer, The Journal of Christian Legal Thought, CLS Bible Studies, and CLS E-Devotionals. Its former publications include the Quarterly, The Defender, and the Religious Freedom Reporter. CLS receives no government support for any of its programs or ministries and is supported by dues, donations and gifts. The Christian Legal Society holds an annual convention in the United States and various regional conferences.
History
The organization, which is based in the United States, was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1961 by four lawyers who had met at a convention of the American Bar Association in 1959 to pray together. Since its founding, it has grown to include nearly 50 attorney chapters, over 120 law school chapters, and four unincorporated ministry divisions.
Membership
CLS membership includes attorneys, judges, law students, and others who profess their commitment to the CLS Statement of Faith. They are organized in more than 1100 cities into attorney chapters, law student chapters, and fellowships throughout the United States. Membership in the Christian Legal Society is open to all who believe in and sign CLS’ Statement of Faith.
Goals
Since its founding in 1961, CLS’ nine organizational objectives, as set forth in its amended not-for-profit articles of incorporation, have been:
To proclaim Jesus as Lord through all that we do in the field of law and other disciplines;
To provide a means of society, fellowship and nurture among Christian lawyers;
To encourage Christian lawyers to view law as ministry;
To clarify and promote the concept of the Christian lawyer and to help Christian lawyers integrate their faith with their professional lives;
To mobilize, at the national and local levels, the resources needed to promote justice, religious liberty, the inalienable right to human life, and biblical conflict reconciliation
To encourage, disciple and aid Christian students in preparing for the legal profession;
To provide a forum for the discussion of problems and opportunities relating to Christianity and the law;
To cooperate with bar associations and other organizations in asserting and maintaining high standards of legal ethics; and,
To encourage lawyers to furnish legal services to the poor and needy, and grant special consideration to the legal needs of churches and other charitable organizations.
On March 16, 2007, the Upsilon Chapter at the University of Florida was officially recognized by the Beta Upsilon Chi national board. The University of Florida, however, refused to recognize BYX. The university had refused to recognize the chapter as a registered student organization because the fraternity accepts only men and would not recognize the chapter as a social fraternity because the fraternity accepts only Christians. On July 10, 2007, the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom and the Christian Legal Society filed suit on behalf of BYX against various officials from the University of Florida for various constitutional violations including unlawful discrimination. During the course of the proceedings, the 11th Circuit Court ordered that the chapter be recognized pending the disposition of the appeal. The case was ultimately dismissed as moot when the university amended its policies to permit the registration of the chapter.
Their case Christian Legal Society v. Martinez reached the Supreme Court of the United States in 2010. It was argued on April 19, 2010 and decided June 28, 2010 against the CLS by a vote of 5-4. The court upheld, against a First Amendment challenge, the policy of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law governing official recognition of student groups, which required the groups to accept all students regardless of their status or beliefs in order to obtain recognition.
