Liberty Law students attend Christian Legal Society National Conference in D.C.

A group of Liberty University School of Law students traveled to Washington, D.C., on Nov. 2 to attend the Christian Legal Society National Conference, where they heard from a variety of attorneys and speakers in the legal field, and many had the opportunity to tour the nation’s capital for the first time.

The conference was an opportunity for students to learn about current issues in the legal field from a Christian perspective and to receive encouragement from seasoned attorneys on how they live out their faith in their careers. Renowned theologian and author Os Guiness was the keynote speaker at the banquet on Saturday night. With hundreds of attorneys from across the nation present, the conference also yielded networking opportunities.

Many aspects of the conference, which was hosted just a few days before the 2024 Presidential Election, focused on the turning point the country is in and how America needs to stay rooted in the Christian foundation it was built on.

“There’s something encouraging about it and exciting about it in the sense that, in this momentous time, God has given us really good things to do and the privilege of being part of what He’s doing in His world to extend the Kingdom across the earth,” said Rodney Chrisman, Liberty Law’s vice dean for academic affairs and faculty development. “The conference and a lot of the breakout sessions, all the way through the keynote speech, really did make that point that it’s an important time to be alive; it’s an important time to be a Christian.”

Interim Dean Timothy Todd remarked that the conference resonated with Liberty Law’s two main goals: to grow the students’ faith in the Lord and to train excellent lawyers.

“It was an incredible day for the Liberty Law community to spend in our nation’s capital networking, learning, and even worshipping with Christian lawyers from all over the country.”

The conference included a job fair, workshops, and breakout sessions on various aspects of the legal profession, including the use of AI, peacemaking as an attorney, religious accommodations in modern law, wellness in the Christian legal field, hot topics in immigration law, the battles Christian schools are facing against local governments, and more.

Kate Byrd, a 2L student, said one of her favorite parts of the experience was during lunchtime, when students were placed at tables with “mentors” from the legal field. Byrd sat at a table with a lawyer who works in tax and bankruptcy law.

“I got to sit there one-on-one with this attorney who’s been practicing for 20 plus years —very successful in her career — and yet she talked about Christ the entire time. It was really cool just to be able to hear that because oftentimes we get so focused in the books that we kind of forget we’re speaking one-on-one to an individual client who is probably going through a really hard time, and you can use your faith to encourage them through that.”

She said another impactful part of the conference was hearing from other law students who do not attend a Christian university. It was eye-opening for her to hear stories of the lack of support and persecution the students face on their campuses.

“They were saying how they struggled to find just three people, three Christians, who would be open enough to say, ‘Yes, I’m a Christian, and I’ll be part of (the Christian Legal Society),” Byrd said. “They were afraid of the persecution and the repercussions they would have by being labeled as Christian. That was one thing where I was like, wow, I really (take for granted) how much we have here (at Liberty Law).”

Byrd said she was grateful for Todd, Chrisman, and Associate Dean for Administration and Student Development David Miller for sacrificing their Saturday to attend the conference and invest in the students.

“This law school exists first and foremost to bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. The primary way we do that is through impacting our students,” Chrisman said. “We wanted to show (the students) that we love and support them and are glad to sacrifice in order to make opportunities available for them.”

David Isenhower, a 1L student with aspirations to become a JAG attorney, said he appreciated the networking opportunities.

“Since I want to do something (JAG) that’s maybe less represented within the Christian Legal Society, it’s going to be good that I’m carrying those connections to my career as opposed to doing something that’s maybe already a bit more represented.”

On top of being surrounded by hundreds of attorneys and law students from all over the country, students had the opportunity to attend a career fair where they could connect with potential internships, externships, and employers from a Christian background.

“We have such a rich community here already that I think it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the Christian legal profession has been around for centuries,” Isenhower said. “It was really encouraging to me to see that the Christian legal community is much bigger than just Liberty Law.”

He added that the experience inspired him to press forward in his studies.

“Day to day, people are showing up and being faithful with law practices and the callings that God has given them,” he said. “It reminds me that the Kingdom of God comes slowly and comes from being faithful in whatever you have been given to do. For me right now, that’s class, being faithful to study and do well on exams, and trust that God is using that to grow the Kingdom.”