
2023 CLS National Conference Homepage
Where:
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
About Event:
OCTOBER 5 – 8, 2023
Blessed with Freedom, Called to Serve
The Christian Legal Society community held an incredible and successful national conference in Boston in 2023. We had wonderful speakers, workshops, law student events, and so much more. We are thankful and grateful for everyone who attended, gave a workshop, and just showed up to make it a great event. Please check back for more post-conference information like workshop documents, and CLE information. In the meantime, our registration site and corresponding app is still live to view details and download documents (also click registration site button on the right). Finally, if you haven’t done so already, please take our conference survey if you attended. The survey is available on the conference app or here
EVENT INFORMATION
GENERAL INFORMATION
The 2023 CLS National Conference will take place October 5-8, 2023 in Boston.
Our host hotel is the Boston Park Plaza near the beautiful Boston Common. The event rate is $199/night for a petite room and $239/night for a standard room.
Dress Code
The event dress is business casual during the event and business for the Saturday evening banquet.
CLE Credits Available!
CLE credits are available dependent on the requirements of your state. The conference will offer six independent sessions to acquire credit. Additional details will be available onsite.
Scholarships Available!
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Thursday, October 5 pre-conference |
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8:00 am-4:30 pm |
Christian Legal Aid Summit* |
9:30-3:30 pm |
Church and Ministry General Counsel Forum* |
Thursday, October 5 |
|
12:00 pm |
Registration Opens |
3:45-5:15 pm |
Workshop Session |
7:00-9:00 pm |
Main Session I |
Friday, October 6 |
|
9:30-11:45 am |
Religious Freedom Panel, Main Session II |
12:00-2:30 pm |
Christian Legal Scholars’ |
1:30-3:00 pm |
Workshop Session |
3:30-5:00 pm |
Workshop Session |
5:30-6:30 pm |
Main Session III |
Saturday, October 7 |
|
8:00-10:00 am |
Job Fair |
10:00-11:45 am |
National Law Student Convention Main Session |
10:15-11:45 am |
Workshop Session |
12:00-1:30 pm |
Law Student Mentoring Lunch |
1:45-3:15 pm |
Workshop Session |
3:45-5:15 pm |
Workshop Session |
7:00-9:00 pm |
Celebration Banquet, Main Session IV |
Sunday, October 8 |
|
10:00-11:30 am |
Worship Service |
Schedule Subject to Change. |
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WORKSHOPS
This is a selection of the workshop topics being planned for the 2023 CLS National Conference. Workshops may be eligible for CLE credits, depending on your state requirements. All workshops subject to change.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Christian Arbitration
• Mediation & Biblical Peacemaking
Church/Nonprofit
• Legal Hotspots
• Protecting Clergy Communications
• Sexual Harassment Prevention
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Ethics
• ABA Model Rule 8.4(g)
• Decision-Making During Ethical Uncertainty
Human Trafficking
International Law
• Justice for Mass Atrocity Crimes
• Ukraine, Russia, & International Criminal Law
Jurisprudence
Legal Practice
• The Business of Christian Law
• The Positive Role of the Prosecutor
• Retaining and Keeping Clients
Life
• Defending Life Post-Dobbs
Litigation
• Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress
• Litigating a Constitutional Case
Practice Specific
• Employment Law
• Estate Planning
• Family Law
• Intellectual Property
Religious Freedom
• Religious Freedom Update
• Respect for Marriage Act
• Religious Freedom & Gay Rights
• Protecting Faith-Based Organizations
Technology
• Blockchain Technology
CHRISTIAN LEGAL AID SUMMIT
NATIONAL LAW STUDENT CONVENTION
The National Law Student Convention (NLSC) provides law students and pre-law students from around the country the opportunity to meet others seeking to discern their callings and become faithful Christ followers in the profession. Join us for times of informal fellowship, directed discussion, intensive instruction, and praise in song during the CLS National Conference. The NLSC welcomes students involved in CLS law student chapters nationwide and those interested in learning more about CLS law student chapters. Scholarships are available. To learn more, please email [email protected].
Schedule | |
Thursday, October 5 | |
10:00 pm |
Law Student Late Night Lounge |
Fellowship and snacks late into the evening. This is a great time to meet new friends, hang out with colleagues, and have fun. | |
Friday, October 6 | |
7:00-9:00 pm | Law Student Welcome Dinner Reception and Opening Session |
Our guest speakers are Professors Kevin Lee (NCCU) and Jason Thacker (Boyce College), who will discuss “Artificial Intelligence & Legal Practice.” | |
10:00-11:00 pm | Praise and Worship |
11:00 pm | Law Student Late Night Lounge |
Fellowship and snacks late into the evening. Come meet new friends! | |
Saturday, October 7 | |
10:00-11:45 am | Law Student Main Session |
Chapter sharing, law student stories, serving your campus, and more! | |
12:00-1:30 pm | Law Student Mentoring Lunch |
An annual favorite for law students! Practicing lawyers, professors, and judges will join each table of law students to share, ask questions, and give advice by practice or geographic area. | |
1:30-7:00 pm | Free time. Hang out with friends. Attend a workshop. |
7:00-9:00 pm | Celebration Banquet |
10:00 pm | Law Student Late Night Lounge |
A note on workshops: Students are welcome to attend any workshops offered throughout the conference. Browse this year’s great offerings; you will find sessions geared toward specific areas of practice, preparation for law practice, spiritual formation, and more. There is something for everyone! |
Featured Events
CHRISTIAN LEGAL SCHOLARS’ SYMPOSIUM
TOPIC:
SPEAKERS:
- Dr. Michael P. Moreland, Professor of Law and Religion and Director of the Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion, and Public Policy, Villanova University School of Law
- Stanley Carlson-Thies, Founder & Senior Director of the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance (A Program of the Center for Public Justice)
- Moderator: Michelle Kirtley, Senior Research Analyst at a lab at Duke University, Board of Trustees Co-Chair of the Association for Public Justice (APJ)
LOCATION: Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
SPONSOR:
JOB FAIR
Saturday, October 8 (8:00 – 10:00 am)
Polish up those resumes for Saturday, October 8, 8:00-10:00 am. The first CLS Job Fair was so successful that CLS is holding the job fair again this year at the 2023 CLS National Conference. The CLS Job Fair is a great opportunity for Christian legal employers and job seekers to connect and get to know one another.
Attorney and law student participation is free, though registration will be required.
If you are an employer seeking to hire and would be interested in participating, please email Lakuita Bittle at [email protected] for information on registration and costs. Hundreds of Christian attorneys and law students nationwide will be at the conference, and this is the perfect recruitment opportunity for your firm or organization.
We hope you will join this forum of networking professionals from around the country.
PARTNER EVENTS
Baptist Fellowship Breakfast
The Baptist Fellowship Breakfast is a gathering of Baptist attorneys and legal professionals at the CLS National Conference. Please join fellow Baptists for a time of fellowship and connection over breakfast Saturday morning, October 8, from 8:30-9:30. There is no additional cost for this event. The Breakfast is sponsored by the Southern Baptist Foundation.
Church and Ministry General Counsel Forum
The Church and Ministry General Counsel Forum at the CLS National Conference is an opportunity for general counsel of Christ-centered churches and ministries to interact and learn from each other. During this extended session, you’ll be an active participant, both sharing your legal challenges and hearing how your peers have addressed similar issues. Here you’ll find a friendly place to tell your stories and listen to the stories of other general counsel. Find out what works and doesn’t work and hear about both the successful things you can do in your ministry and what traps led to setbacks that you’ll want to avoid. It’s also a chance to create relationships with like-minded general counsel who could become both friends and resources in the future.
The General Counsel Forum is open to general counsel of churches and ministries. It is also open to attorneys practicing in law firms who serve as general counsel for a church or ministry. The General Counsel Forum will run from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm on Thursday, October 6, and will include CLE credits. The cost of the General Counsel Forum is $75, which includes lunch.
FEATURED SPEAKERS

Jade Mathis
Jade Ellis Mathis is an attorney, TEDx speaker, mental health advocate, and television personality, who co-starred on NBC’s Mathis Family Matters – a docu series featuring her family. While following in the footsteps of her father, host of the nationally syndicated, Emmy Award-winning Judge Mathis Show, Jade experienced several obstacles and setbacks on her road to becoming an attorney.
After receiving a life-changing diagnosis of clinical depression, ADHD, and a learning disorder while a junior in college, she was determined to change the way the world views mental health. In 2016, she captured the attention of millions across the world by sharing her story of resilience and perseverance in her viral testimony video, changing countless lives. A former, non-traditional prosecutor specializing in reform, Jade observed firsthand the disparities and deficits in the criminal justice system and created a diversion program as an alternative to incarceration. Jade has been recognized for her expertise and work in reform as an expungement guru.
In 2022, following her passion and calling to touch the masses, Jade resigned from prosecution to embark on a full-time journey of mental health advocacy and inspirational speaking. Jade has served as a panelist, host, and keynote speaker for dozens of events and has been featured in numerous publications, podcasts, and media outlets for her advocacy and journey of resilience. Jade currently works with the National Institute of Health and the Black Greek Consortium as a mental health influencer and keynote speaker for their “Rooted in Resilience” tour. She also serves as of counsel to the A. Clarke Law Group, advising the firm on high-profile criminal and civil rights matters and is a recurring guest contributor on MSNBC’s show with host Symone Saunders.
Ed Stetzer
Ed Stetzer is a professor and dean at Wheaton College where he also serves as the executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. Ed has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates; and has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books.
He is the regional director for Lausanne North America, is the editor-in-chief of Outreach Magazine, and regularly writes for news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. His national radio show, Ed Stetzer Live, airs Saturdays on Moody Radio and affiliates. He serves at his local church, Highpoint Church, as a teaching pastor.
The Honorable Jamie Grosshans
Justice Jamie R. Grosshans was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court on September 14, 2020, by Governor Ron DeSantis. Previously, she was appointed to the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Florida in 2018 by Governor Rick Scott. Prior to her appointment to the appellate court, she served as an Orange County Court Judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida where she presided over criminal and civil matters.
Justice Grosshans was raised in Brookhaven, Mississippi, and graduated cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law. During law school, she clerked for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi. Following admittance to the Florida Bar, she served as an assistant state attorney for the Ninth Circuit of Florida in both the misdemeanor and felony divisions where she tried numerous criminal jury trials. Justice Grosshans later entered private practice and founded her own law firm where she focused on family law and criminal defense matters for nearly 10 years. During this time, she also served as an adjunct professor at Valencia College where she taught hospitality law for the hospitality and tourism management program. She also frequently volunteered as a guardian ad litem with the Orange County Legal Aid Society.
Justice Grosshans has served on state court system advisory committees and has been involved in numerous activities with the Florida Bar and other legal organizations. Justice Grosshans regularly speaks to lawyers and law students on topics such as challenges in the practice of law, the role of judges, professionalism and respect in the legal profession, criminal law, and family law.
Charles Galda
Charles Galda leads Vision New England, founded by A.J. Gordon in 1887 as the Evangelistic Association of New England. Vision New England is a network of 1000+ ministries that want to see New England transformed by the love of Jesus and supports that by helping churches make disciples, do justice, and foster unity to share Jesus.
In 2018, Charles answered a call to vocational ministry that included rebirthing Vision New England with a revived vision and mission. Prior to that he was a senior executive at GE and GE Capital, where he held a number of leadership roles in M&A, finance, and technology. His most recent role was the CIO of GE Capital’s Global Technology Centers where he was also responsible for technology strategy and the sale and separation of $500B in assets as part of GE’s exit from financial services.
Charles has a BA in economics from Pace University and is married to Kristyn. He grew up in Connecticut, where they raised their family and attended Walnut Hill Community Church where he was a Bible study teacher, elder, and elder vice-chair. He has also served on the board of Gordon College’s Career Connections Institute, Jericho Partnership in Danbury, and Center of Hope for Haiti, as well as on Danbury Hospital’s technology advisory board. He also worked with The Underground to help bring housing for survivors of human trafficking to Connecticut.
Charles and Kristyn have resided in Newmarket, NH, since 2018, where they attend First Baptist Church Hampton Falls.
2023 CLS NATIONAL CONFERENCE WORKSHOP MATERIALS
State-by-state CLE information is available here. Please email Laura with any questions.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5
- GENERAL COUNSEL FORUM WORKSHOPS
- MAIN CONFERENCE WORKSHOP SESSION 1
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6
- PLENARY PANEL
- The Most Promising Tools for the Non-Specialist in Religious Freedom Defense
- MAIN CONFERENCE WORKSHOP SESSION 2
- Workshop 5
- Protecting Clergy Communications
- Kevin Snider
- Protecting Clergy Communications
- Workshop 6
- The How and Why of Christian Legal Aid
- Annie Becker and Jamiee Hatcher
- The How and Why of Christian Legal Aid
- Workshop 7
- The Business of Christian Law
- Forrest Norman, Jon Hwang, Rob Showers, and Sally Wagenmaker
- The Business of Christian Law
- Workshop 8
- Workshop 9
- Guarding Religious Ministries and Schools from Legal Attacks
- Jeff Mateer
- Guarding Religious Ministries and Schools from Legal Attacks
- Workshop 10
- Sex Trafficking in an Internet World and How to Use Litigation to Stop It
- Ben Bull
- Sex Trafficking in an Internet World and How to Use Litigation to Stop It
- Workshop 5
- CLS MAIN WORKSHOP SESSION 3
- Workshop 11
- Workshop 12
- Legal Hotspots for Churches and Ministries
- Justin Coleman, Rob Showers, and Will Thetford
- Legal Hotspots for Churches and Ministries
- Workshop 13
- ABA Model Rule 8.4(g): A Speech Code for Attorneys
- Herb Grey and Laura Nammo
- ABA Model Rule 8.4(g): A Speech Code for Attorneys
- Workshop 14 (cancelled)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7
- MAIN CONFERENCE WORKSHOP SESSION 4
- Workshop 17
- Ethical Persuasion: Practical Negotiation Strategies
- Shaun Capps
- Ethical Persuasion: Practical Negotiation Strategies
- Workshop 18
- Supercharging Your Legal Practice with the Gospel, Peacemaking, and Emotional Intelligence
- Ken Sande
- Supercharging Your Legal Practice with the Gospel, Peacemaking, and Emotional Intelligence
- Workshop 19
- Legal Update and Best Practices for Employing Co-Religionists
- Nat Taylor
- Legal Update and Best Practices for Employing Co-Religionists
- Workshop 20
- Diversity and Inclusion: The Law Office, Ministries, and Other Workplaces
- Theresa Sidebotham
- Diversity and Inclusion: The Law Office, Ministries, and Other Workplaces
- Workshop 21 (non-CLE)
- Workshop 17
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- Workshop 22
- Are You My Mother? Surrogacy and Love of Neighbor
- Adeline Allen
- Are You My Mother? Surrogacy and Love of Neighbor
- Workshop 23
- Medicaid Qualification: A Practical Roadmap for Estate Planners
- John Laboe
- Medicaid Qualification: A Practical Roadmap for Estate Planners
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- MAIN CONFERENCE WORKSHOP SESSION 5
- Workshop 24
- Sexual Harassment Prevention in the Church
- Lane Paulsen and Joe Ruta
- Sexual Harassment Prevention in the Church
- Workshop 25
- Friday Night Rights: Interscholastic Sports and Constitutional Law
- Roy Hacke
- Friday Night Rights: Interscholastic Sports and Constitutional Law
- Workshop 26
- Law Practices and Divine Purposes
- Duane Horning
- Law Practices and Divine Purposes
- Workshop 27
- How Churches Can Help Solve the Foster Care Crisis
- Deborah Ausburn and Tom Rawlings
- How Churches Can Help Solve the Foster Care Crisis
- Workshop 28
- Alternative Business Models for Sustainable Legal Servies
- Katy Schmidt and Stephanie Wormleighton
- Alternative Business Models for Sustainable Legal Servies
- Workshop 29
- Workshop 24
- MAIN CONFERENCE WORKSHOP SESSION 6
- Workshop 30
- Blockchain, Society, and the Law
- Mark Cianci
- Blockchain, Society, and the Law
- Workshop 31
- The Fight for Life in Post-Roe America
- Steve Aden
- The Fight for Life in Post-Roe America
- Workshop 32
- Ukraine, Russia, and International Criminal Law
- Jeff Brauch
- Ukraine, Russia, and International Criminal Law
- Workshop 33
- Religious Freedom Update
- Matthew Szymanski
- Religious Freedom Update
- Workshop 34
- Workshop 35
- What’s Really at Stake in AI and Biotech: A Conversation (non-CLE)
- Rick Campanelli and Kevin Lee
- What’s Really at Stake in AI and Biotech: A Conversation (non-CLE)
- Workshop 30