Training Students in Biblical Truth as it Relates to 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.
Designed for Students 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 and personal gain, the Fellows program provides students not only robust training, but also scholarly interaction, mentorship, and community. During this time together, students and faculty will explore the implications of the fact that God is the source of order and justice, digging into what it means to say that good stewardship and moral formation are prerequisites for vocational integrity.
Do you not say, “There are yet four months, then comes the harvest”? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
(John 4:35)
Fellows will engage with world-class professors and successful practitioners across a broad range of topics, including:
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 the profession as a means of loving their neighbors and fostering the common good.
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’s no longer seen as important, or even possible. The legal profession and American society have suffered as a result of these false assumptions regarding law and lawyering.
We’re here to change that! The Fellows program was created to help raise up a new generation of professionals committed to a life of integrity and faithfulness as central to the Christian life and good lawyering. A Program geared less toward attaining the levers of power and more toward living a life worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1).
Students will spend time in a classroom setting, but the Program 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. So will time together in Washington, D.C. — exploring famous landmarks, taking in sporting attractions, and growing together in the common pursuit of professional competency and Christian witness.
You Can Make a Difference for Your Campus and Profession
Fellows will be equipped to return as servant leaders ready to engage and serve their campus. 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].
For additional information or if you have questions please email [email protected].
Currently scheduled for May 18 – 24, 2025.
Washington, D.C.
The program is designed for students who are currently in their first or second year of law school.
Criteria includes 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 this perspective will be given added preference.
All program materials, instruction, travel to and from DC, lodging, and meals are covered. Students should consider bringing money for incidental expenses.
Applications will be accepted November 1, 2024 thru March 7, 2025.
All items must be uploaded by 11:59 PM EST on March 7, 2025.
Applicants must complete the online application, which includes:
All applicants will be notified via email by March 28, 2025. 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 2025 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. We do this to ensure student perspectives represent the country and, more importantly, the Kingdom of God. We pride ourselves on creating the most diverse and intellectually challenging environment we can!
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.
