Christian Legal Society
Christian Legal Society (CLS) is a non-profit organization of Christian lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students and friends. Its members profess to follow the "commandment of Jesus" to "seek justice with the love of God." 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. Structure and activities. In the 1980s and 1990s, CLS formed and managed a Christian Conciliation ministry, which later became Peacemaker Ministries and the  Institute for Christian Conciliation. There are currently over 50 attorney chapters, 120 law school chapters, and 60 Christian legal aid clinics. CLS is organized into four different branches, including networks and Christian community for attorneys and law students (Attorney Ministries and Law Student Ministries); the Center for Law & Religious Freedom, and Christian Legal Aid. The Center for Law & Religious Freedom is an advocacy branch of CLS, whose goal in its own words is "to protect and defend religious freedom and the sanctity of human life through submitting "amicus curiae" legal briefs in cases, representing parties, and legislative work." Christian Legal  Aid is a national network of legal aid clinics described as "the ministry of CLS to those below the poverty line." The Christian Legal Society holds an annual convention in the United States and various regional conferences. 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." Finances. CLS is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, supported by dues, donations and gifts. Its donors include Alliance Defending Freedom  who gave CLS over $420,000 in 2008. Membership. CLS membership includes attorneys, judges, law students, and others who profess their commitment to the CLS Statement of Faith. They are organized in more than 1100 cities into attorney chapters, law student chapters, and fellowships throughout the United States. To become a member of Christian Legal Society, one must "believe in and sign" CLS’ Statement of Faith. Goals. Since its founding in 1961, CLS’ nine organizational objectives, as set forth in its amended not-for-profit articles of incorporation, have been: Important legal cases. University of Florida (2007). On March 16 , 2007, the Upsilon Chapter at the University of Florida was officially recognized by the Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX) national board. The University of Florida, however, refused to recognize BYX. The university had refused to recognize the chapter as a registered student organization because the fraternity accepts only men and would not recognize the chapter as a social fraternity because the fraternity accepts only Christians. On July 10, 2007, the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom and the Christian Legal Society filed suit ("Beta Upsilon Chi Upsilon Chapter v. Machen, 586 F.3d 908, 911-912 (11th Cir. 2009)") on behalf  of BYX against various officials from the University of Florida for various constitutional violations including unlawful discrimination. During the course of the proceedings, the 11th Circuit Court (United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on appeal from the Northern District of Florida, Leon County) ordered that the chapter be recognized pending the disposition of the appeal. The case was ultimately dismissed as moot when the university amended its policies to permit the registration of the chapter. University of California, Hastings College of the Law (2010). Their case "Christian Legal Society v. Martinez" reached the Supreme Court of the  United States in 2010. It was argued on April 19, 2010 and decided June 28, 2010 against the CLS by a vote of 5-4. The court upheld, against a First Amendment challenge, the policy of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law governing official recognition of student groups, which required the groups to accept all students regardless of their status or beliefs in order to obtain recognition.