Law and Religion (J.D.)

Program Overview

The Juris Doctor (J.D.) in Law and Religion studies how legal systems protect, accommodate, limit, and sometimes fund religion. Religious liberty is one of the oldest constitutional rights and one of the most litigated: it shapes how schools are funded, how employers treat religious workers, how zoning boards treat houses of worship, and how far a government may go in regulating religious practice. Students learn the doctrine with the precision of a litigator and the historical sense to see why it keeps changing. Building on the core of a legal education — legal method and writing, constitutional law and fundamental rights, civil obligations, procedure and evidence, and professional responsibility — the program studies the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses from Reynolds and Sherbert through Employment Division v. Smith, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Hosanna-Tabor, Fulton, and Kennedy v. Bremerton; religious accommodation in employment and land use; the law on public funding of religious schools after Trinity Lutheran, Espinoza, and Carson v. Makin; and the international protection of freedom of religion or belief under Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Graduates work in religious liberty research and advocacy, public policy, education, and the legal affairs of religious organizations. The J.D. thesis analyzes a live question of religious freedom — a conflict between nondiscrimination law and conscience, the funding of religious schools, or the regulation of religious speech. The degree is an academic and professional credential in law and religion; it is not a qualifying law degree for admission to the bar, and graduates who intend to practise law must meet the licensing requirements of their own jurisdiction.

Core Courses

• JD 501 — Legal Method, Research, and Writing (9 credits)
• JD 510 — Constitutional Law and Fundamental Rights (9 credits)
• JD 520 — Contracts, Torts, and Civil Obligations (12 credits)
• JD 530 — Civil Procedure and Evidence (9 credits)
• JD 612 — The Religion Clauses (9 credits)
• JD 622 — Religious Liberty Statutes and Accommodation (9 credits)
• JD 680 — Professional Responsibility (6 credits)
• JD 699 — Juris Doctor Thesis in Law and Religion (9 credits)

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from a recognized institution
• Statement of purpose describing an interest in law and its relation to faith, ministry, or public service
• Analytical writing sample of at least 1,500 words
• Current résumé or ministry profile
• Official transcripts from prior institutions when available
• Signed acknowledgment that the degree is not a qualifying law degree for bar admission in any jurisdiction