Faith-Based Law Schools: Making Mission Matter

A faith-based law school offers unique values to the legal profession and larger community. However, this faith-based identity requires attention by the dean, faculty, administration, student body, and community. Without attention to a faith-based identity, a law school can quickly lose its religious uniqueness. This Article makes the case that a faith-based law school needs to consider “the essentials” to making its mission matter.

First, the faith-based school must make a mission statement that incorporates its church’s religious values and traditions. Second, the faith-based law school needs to create a mission-based environment. This environment can only be achieved if the faculty and student body buy into the school’s mission. Third, the faith-based law school needs to build upon those moments that embody the school’s mission, and use it as inspiration to continue a faith-based mission.

Continued attention to, and nurture of, these essentials is important to any faith-based law school in order to maintain its religious identity.