Christian Legal Society
Greetings! Welcome to the Pepperdine Christian Legal Society (CLS) web page. We hope you enjoy your stay here. Feel free to e-mail any of the officers with questions about CLS (Please send any comments about the web page to Jason Smith at jpsmith3@pepperdine.edu).
2007-2008 Leaders
President: John Gehart
Faculty Advisor: Robert Cochran
Mission Statement
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.
Meetings
Currently, there are no CLS member meetings planned. Instead, the CLS officers will meet once a month to discuss chapter business and make plans for the coming month. That information resulting from these meetings will then be conveyed to the membership, usually by e-mail. If a member has an item for consideration, he or she can contact the officers in advance, and bring the matter to the next officer's meeting. This allows minimal interruption of our members' busy schedules, an open forum for member concerns, and an efficient way to ensure that the business of the chapter is attended to.
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. While it usually begins between 6 or 7pm, its meeting time for the coming semester is TBA. Associate Dean of the Law Library and Law Professor Dan Martin has graciously allowed us to meet in his home. Here we are able to 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. As an added bonus we get to delight in Dean Martin's delicious home baked cookies.
The Men's and Women's Bible studies meet at the George Page lounge, right across the street from the Law school. They provide a unique opportunity to study the Word closely, to discuss its implications with a close-knit group of friends, and to pray that the Lord will use His Word to change our lives.