Religion Law Commons^™

Rluipa: What's The Use, Jason Z. Pesick

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

After Congress passed the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), which protects religious land use, many observers feared that the legislation would allow religious organizations to flout land-use regulations. Because RLUIPA defines "religious exercise" broadly, these observers feared the law would protect an array of nonworship uses, including commercial ventures, as long as a religious entity owned the land. More than a decade after RLUIPA's passage, this Note concludes that courts have not interpreted religious exercise as broadly as those observers feared. Courts have not, however, settled on a clear or consistent way of interpreting religious …

Hugo Black’S Wall Of Separation Of Church And State, Garland L. Goff Jr.

Senior Honors Theses

Justice Hugo Black and his 1947 opinion in Everson v. Board of Education. In this opinion, Justice Black quoted Thomas Jefferson’s term “wall of separation” and further added his own opinion that the wall must be high and impregnable. This meant that from that day forward the separation of church and state would be applied to all aspects of government not just the federal level. Several key factors in Justice Black’s background inclined the Justice to rule unfavorably against religion. First, it is a known fact that Justice Black was a member of the KKK, an organization that was known …

A Proposal To Expand The Religious Services Exemption Under The Copyright Act, Kevin M. Lemley

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

This article focuses on the religious services exemption to the Copyright Act. The religious services exemption is one of many exemptions that permit certain types of use without first obtaining permission from the copyright owner, or proving fair use. This article argues that the religious services exemption should be expanded to cover any work used in the course of services as well as the recording, broadcast, and transmission of the services.

The first part of this article analyzes the existing religious services exemption under the Copyright Act to define the bounds that uses fall under the exemption. The article then …

Religious Monopolies And The Commodification Of Religion, Shima Baradaran-Robison, Brett G. Scharffs, Elizabeth A. Sewell

Pepperdine Law Review

In recent years, the number of countries in which a dominant church receives state aid and other forms of preferential treatment has increased. Dominant religions and their supporters in the former Soviet bloc and elsewhere often argue that special benefits and protection are warranted based upon the unique history and contribution of the dominant church to the identity, history, and culture of the country, and the interests of the state and its citizens. Because of the distinctive status of religion and its importance to national and cultural identity, special protection, especially against foreign and other outside influence, is deemed necessary. …

Can The Ordinary Practice Of Law Be A Religious Vocation? A Panelist's Response, Robert J. Conrad Jr

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Wrong Question, John E. Acuff

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Lawyer As Peacemaker: A Christian Response To Rambo Litigation, L. Timothy Perrin

Pepperdine Law Review

This article examines and critiques Rambo lawyering. The practice of law has evolved so that the cornerstone principle of client loyalty, together with the economic incentives inherent in law practice, not only create strong motivations for lawyers to pursue their clients' causes vigorously, but also allow lawyers to easily absolve themselves of any moral obligation for their activities as their clients' representatives. Vigorous advocacy is an indispensible part of the modern judicial system, and it is generally believed that truth and justice will be served as long as there are vigorous advocates on both sides and the profession's code of …

Are Lawyers 'Wonderfully Made'?, Kenneth G. Elzinga

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Practicing Law As A Christian: Restoration Movement Perspectives, Thomas G. Bost, L. Timothy Perrin

Pepperdine Law Review

The legal profession faces a potential crisis where the professional and personal lives of practicing lawyers are being compartmentalized, with little relationship to or integration with each other, and with sometimes starkly differing standards of conduct and morality. Perrin and Bost argue that a Christian lawyer's commitment to Christ calls them to a standard of conduct higher than or different from the ethical rules propounded by the bar. The article examines the "standard vision" of lawyer conduct and ethical responsibility and summarizes four models of how Christians have adopted in relating to secular culture: in harmony with the code; against …

Pepperdine Commencement Speech, Anthony T. Kronman

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Reflections On The Practice Of Law As A Religious Calling, From A Perspective Of Jewish Law And Ethics, Samuel J. Levine

Pepperdine Law Review

This Essay is based on introductory remarks Levine delivered at the inaugural conference of the Pepperdine Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics, "Can the Ordinary Practice of Law be a Religious Calling?," held on February 6-7, 2004 at Pepperdine University School of Law. In thinking about the practice of law as a religious calling, Levine argues that we should first consider the broader issue of the general relevance of religion to various areas of life, including work. From a perspective of Jewish law and ethics, moral conduct comprises an imperative at home and at the workplace no less than at …

Clients, Courts, And Calling: Rethinking The Practice Of Law, Joseph Allegretti

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Larger Calling Still, Lee Hardy

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Introduction: Can The Ordinary Practice Of Law Be A Religious Calling?, Robert F. Cochran Jr

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Boundary Work: Transcendence And Authoriality In Religious And Secular Law, David S. Caudill

Faculty Publications

The semiotic investigation of the divine or transcendent authoriality of religious law involves, in the context of discussions concerning the propriety or impropriety of the influence of religion in ‘‘secular’’ political and legal systems, preliminary boundary work to discern the meanings of ‘‘religion’’, ‘‘secular’’, and ‘‘belief.’’ Jeremy Waldron’s account of the propriety of religion in ‘‘secular’’ politics, mirroring but reversing John Rawls’ account of religion’s impropriety in that context, can be contrasted with neo-Calvinist (and other) conceptions of pluralism and the inevitability of fundamental ‘‘beliefs’’ in all political and legal thought. In the latter perspectives, religious believers are neither unique …

The Impact On "The Vanishing Trial" If People Of Faith Were Faithful To Religious Principles Of Settling Disputes Without Litigation , Anthony R. Benedetto

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Commentators have expressed concern about "the vanishing trial" with respect to the possible loss of precedent and the loss of opportunities for aggrieved persons to have their concerns resolved in the judicial arena. Ignoring the controversy surrounding whether the number of trials is actually decreasing significantly, this paper asks whether the number of trials would be significantly affected if all people of faith resolved their disputes within their religious communities, or at least outside of the secular court setting. The impact on secular case law of the disappearance of such disputes is then estimated. Finally, recommendations are presented for overcoming …

Dual Lenses: Using Theology And International Human Rights To Assess China's 2005 Regulations On Religion, Joel A. Nichols

Pepperdine Law Review

In order for China to move forward in the international community, it needs to continue to improve its standing on human rights issues. Of particular concern to many observers is the relationship between the government and religion. While foreign religious organizations and missionaries are still heavily regulated by a 1994 law, a new law respecting religious citizens and organizations within China went into effect in 2005. This new law is salutary in some respects in that it provides a much fuller delineation of the relationship between government and religion within China, and it appears more solicitous toward religious rights than …

A Multitude Of Sins? Constitutional Standards For Legal Resolution Of Church Property Disputes In A Time Of Escalating Intradenominational Strife, Jeffrey B. Hassler

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Religious Organization’S Autonomy In Matters Of Self-Governance: Hosanna-Tabor And The First Amendment, Carl H. Esbeck

Faculty Publications

In Hosanna-Tabor, a teacher suing her employer, a church-based school, alleged retaliation for having asserted rights under a discrimination statute. The School raised the “ministerial exception,” which prohibits ministers from suing their religious employer. The Court held the exception was constitutionally required. Before giving the facts that convinced it that this teacher was a “minister,” the Court had to distinguish the leading case of Employ. Div. v. Smith. Plaintiffs in Smith held jobs as counselors at a drug rehabilitation center. They were fired for illegal drug use (peyote), and later denied unemployment compensation. The Native American Church ingests peyote during …

Hidden In The Shadows: The Perilous Use Of Adr By The Catholic Church, Michelle Rosenblatt

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article begins with a history of sexual abuse cases in the Catholic Church by exploring the church autonomy doctrine, allegations and investigations, and the Church's stance on abuse cases. The discussion then turns to the current state of events and reform measures the Church is taking to deter further criticism. The main body of the article examines the parties and interests involved in the dispute, factors for a successful mediation and the Church's current use of ADR. Finally, the article concludes that ADR, despite its unique advantages in satisfying some of the parties' interests, fails to meet many of …