CLS Law School Fellows

​The CLS Law School Fellows program is designed to encourage and train law students to seek and study biblical truth as it relates to legal institutions and the study and practice of law.

The CLS Law School Fellows program is a week-long summer program designed for law students seeking a deeper understanding of the nature and sources of human law. The week will provide theological and philosophical tools for a mission-minded approach to legal study and law practice. All travel, lodging, and expenses are covered by the program.

​The CLS Law School Fellows program is designed for students who are currently in their first or second year of law school.

Beginning with the understanding that the law is not simply a human artifact and that law practice is about more than just social engineering, the Fellows program provides training, scholarly interaction, and fellowship. In the context of Christian scholarly community, students and faculty will explore the implications of the fact that God is the source of order and justice and that moral formation is necessary to professional formation.

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 (ESV)

World-Class Faculty and Instruction

Fellows will engage with world-class professors and successful practitioners across a broad range of topics:

  • Jurisprudential & Theological Foundations of Law
  • The Life of Integrity as the Foundation for Moral Formation and Professional Identity
  • The Doctrine of Vocation in the Context of Law Practice and Study
  • Loving Our Neighbors in Ordinary Practice
  • Mentoring and Fellowship

CLS Fellows will be equipped to recognize and resist the negative shaping power of the legal academy that can result in cynicism, arrogance, and unhealthy competitiveness. Fellows will become lawyers who see law practice as a means of loving their neighbors and fostering the common good.

The Legal Profession Needs This Program

In today’s legal academy, law is seen merely as a tool for social engineering, and lawyers are the engineers. Law students no longer receive training in moral formation as part of their professional training because it is not seen as important or even possible. The legal profession and American society have suffered as a result of these false views of law and lawyering, and the Fellows program was created to help raise up a new generation of professionals committed to integrity and faithfulness as central to lawyering.

This isn’t Just Another Week in the Classroom

Students will spend time in a classroom setting, but the Fellowship is not just a conference or seminar, it is a scholarly community. Students will spend time with professors, mentors, practitioners, and one another in social settings, small groups, and discussion roundtables. Morning devotionals and worship will be part of our time together.

You can Make a Difference on Your Campus and in the Profession

CLS Fellows will be equipped to return to campus as servant leaders ready to engage the campus with integrity. They will be equipped to enter the profession with integrity, using their gifts in service to God and love of neighbor. Whether doing justice work, serving in the non-profit world, or representing ordinary clients in an ordinary law practice, Fellows will understand law as a calling and the substance of the law as a key part of God’s work in the world.

For additional information or if you have questions please email [email protected].

Download the CLS Law School Fellows 2024 Brochure

Frequently Asked Questions and Program Details

Currently scheduled for May 19 – 25, 2024.

The 2024 CLS Law School Fellows program will be held in Washington, D.C.

The program is designed for students who are currently in their first or second year of law school.

Criteria include academic excellence, commitment to the mission of the program, character, and spiritual maturity. (The CLS Fellows program will be taught from a Christian perspective, but students from any faith tradition or none will be considered for admittance). Because the program is designed to provide foundational material from a Christian perspective, students from schools that do not teach from a distinctly Christian perspective will be given some preference.

All program materials, instruction, travel to and from DC, lodging, and meals are covered for every student. Students should consider bringing money for snacks and incidental expenses.

Applications will be accepted November 1 thru March 8.

March 8. All items must be uploaded by 11:59 PM EST on March 8.

Applicants must complete the online application, which includes:

  1. personal contact information,
  2. a current resume or CV in PDF format,
  3. responses to the listed personal questions (suggested response length is 100-300 words each), and
  4. contact information for two references (other than family members).

All applicants will be notified via email by March 29. Requests for early decisions will be considered. Successful applicants will need to complete their Letter of Acceptance and Participation Agreement before enrollment is official.

We anticipate that the 2024 class will be between 25 – 40 students.

Yes, but it is likely that we will cap acceptances from the same school at two students this year.

Yes. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory for every student. There will be limited free time during the week, and some of the meals and excursions will be optional. As a general rule, however, students should be prepared to attend sessions or activities from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Monday through Friday, and from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturday. Students will be asked to arrive on site before 5:00 PM on Sunday, and depart after 3:00 PM on Saturday.

The goal of the Fellows week is to create a scholarly community around the topics of vocational stewardship, Christian jurisprudence, and moral formation. Faculty will speak on vocation and calling; legal ethics; morality and integrity in the context of law practice; jurisprudence, biblical law, and natural law; religious freedom; and Christian service. Faculty will teach from a Christian perspective, with an understanding that God’s redemptive work can transform not only lawyers and law students, but also legal institutions and law firms.

Do You Need Help?

Christian Legal Society offers legal assistance for those in need through CLS’ network of Christian Legal Aid clinics and Christian Attorneys’ directory. CLS’ Center for Law & Religious Freedom is also available to address issues related to the infringement of religious freedom.

Find a Christian Attorney
Get Help with Religious Freedom
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