Christian Legal Society
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Faculty Advisor
Mission Statement
The purpose of this Chapter is to develop and maintain a vibrant Christian law student presence on campus, enabling its members, individually and as a group, to love the Lord with their whole beings—hearts, souls, and minds—and to love their neighbors as themselves (Matthew 22:37-40). To that end the Chapter will:
- Cultivate spiritual growth among its members through communal prayer, fellowship, and worship; learning to share one’s faith; and devotional study of the Bible and classic Christian works
- Show the love of Christ to the campus community and the community at large by proclaiming the gospel in word and in deed, such as through a life of integrity and charitable good works; as Martin Luther put it, “to be as Christ to our neighbor.”
The Christian Legal Society's mission is "to be the national grassroots network of lawyers and law students, committed to proclaiming, loving and serving Jesus Christ, through all we do and say in the practice of law, and advocating biblical conflict reconciliation, public justice, religious freedom and the sanctity of human life." It carries out this mission by "transforming the legal profession for good one heart and mind at a time by enlisting lawyers and law students everywhere to faithfully serve Jesus Christ in the diligent study and ethical practice of law by ministering to the poor, reconciling people in conflict, defending life and protecting the religious liberties of all people."
At Pepperdine, the CLS goes about transforming hearts and minds through the practices of dialogue, fellowship, and service.
Dialogue is seeking out the arguments that shape current legal, political, ethical, and religious discussions, crafting opposing or supplementary arguments that conform to the Christian faith, and adding our voice to the exchange. To that end, the Pepperdine CLS is committed to sponsoring debates and lectures that contribute to our understanding of the key issues of our time.
Fellowship is meeting and engaging other Christian law students and lawyers through Bible Studies, service, and social events. To that end, Pepperdine CLS gathers with other law school chapters in the Southern California area, including UCLA, USC, Loyola, Southwestern, and Western State. It is rejoicing with fellow students during their best times, and supporting them during their worst times. CLS members are there for each other, in prayer and otherwise.
Service is manifesting the love of Christ - first in our own lives, and then in the lives of those around us. It is helping you grow as more than just a law student. To that end, Pepperdine CLS actively seeks out opportunities to help those in need. On Thanksgiving, we volunteer to serve food to the homeless at the Union Rescue Mission. During the Christmas season, we organize a gift drive to bring presents to children on behalf of their incarcerated parents.
Bible Studies
The Pepperdine CLS does not hold its own Bible studies. Instead, we take advantage of being located on the campus of a Christian school and defer to the wonderful work of Pepperdine's Graduate Student Ministries. Graduate Student Ministries organizes and holds 3 Bible studies a week: one for all Pepperdine graduate students, one for men, and one for women. Members of CLS, of course, can always be found at these.
The Graduate Bible Study takes place every Wednesday night at 7 pm. Professor Gash graciously allows us to meet in his home, where we sing, sometimes with a guitar and piano accompaniment, and enjoy fellowship with other students. At this Bible study we have a guest speaker, usually a member of the Pepperdine faculty, but sometimes an alumnus or even a current student.
There are also Men's and Women's Bible studies meeting weekly. If you have an interest, please contact us.