Christian Legal Society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(President & Chairman of the Board)
| Formation | 1961 |
|---|---|
| Type | Christian non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | Springfield, Virginia, United States |
President | Charlie Oellermann (President & Chairman of the Board) |
| Staff |
|
| Website | www.christianlegalsociety.org |
Christian Legal Society (CLS) is a non-profit Christian organization headquartered in Virginia, United States. The organization consists of lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students. Its members are bound to follow the "commandment of Jesus" and to "seek justice with the love of God."[2]
Finances
The organization was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1961 by four lawyers (Paul Bernard, Gerrit P. Groen, Henry Luke Brinks, and Elmer Johnson) who met to pray together at a 1959 convention of the American Bar Association.[citation needed]
In the 1980s and 1990s, the organization formed a Christian Conciliation Ministry, which later became Peacemaker Ministries and the Institute for Christian Conciliation.
Currently, there are over 50 attorney chapters, 120 law school chapters, and 60 Christian legal aid clinics which are assigned to the organization. The Christian Legal Society is organized into three different branches: the network for attorneys and law students (Attorney Ministries and Law Student Ministries), the Center for Law & Religious Freedom, and the Christian Legal Aid.
The Christian Legal Society holds an annual convention in the United States as well as various regional conferences.[3] It also publishes a bi-annual magazine called The Christian Lawyer, a scholarly journal called 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 is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization, supported by dues, donations and gifts. Its donors include Alliance Defending Freedom who gave CLS over $420,000 in 2008.[4]
Membership
The organization's members includes attorneys, judges, law students, and others who profess their commitment to the CLS Statement of Faith. These members, which are claimed to be found in 1100 cities, are organized into attorney chapters, law student chapters, and fellowships throughout the United States.
It is stated that to become a member of Christian Legal Society, one must "believe in and sign" CLS’ Statement of Faith.[5]
Goals of the organization
Since its foundation in 1961, CLS has proclaimed nine organizational objectives, as set forth in its amended articles of incorporation:[6]
- 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.
