News

BYU Law Dean Gordon Smith announces the appointment of Professor Christine Hurt as Associate Dean for Faculty and Curriculum, effective May 1, 2016. Professor Brett Scharffs, who completed a three-year term as associate dean, is now the new Director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies. “Professor Hurt brings a national reputation as a…

BYU Law Professor Justin Collings’ book, Democracy’s Guardians: A History of the German Federal Constitutional Court, 1951-2001, was reviewed in the International Journal of Constitutional Law, one of the flagship journals of comparative constitutional law. The review titled, “The Constitutional Miracle on the Rhine: Towards a History of West German Constitutionalism and the Federal Constitutional…

On May 30, 2016, the University of Muhammadiyah, Malang, Indonesia, The Oslo Coalition of Freedom of Religion or Belief, Norway, and BYU’s International Center for Law and Religion Studies announced the creation of the first-of-its-kind Master’s Degree Program on Sharia and Human Rights at Muhammadiyah University in Malang, Indonesia. The announcement marked the fifth annual…

BYU Law student Shad Larson’s interest in religious freedom and his drive to make a positive impact led him to become an International Center for Law and Religion Studies student research fellow and participate in the summer externship program.  He felt his first year of law school prepared him to successfully address the challenges he…

BYU Law’s Admissions Office hosted a seminar on tips for surviving law school for admitted students on Thursday, June 23, 2016. During the meeting, 2Ls Ashley Smith and Jacob McRae shared their advice for successfully managing the first year. Following their comments, students had the opportunity to ask questions in person or via webinar. Smith…

The J. Reuben Clark Law School has been accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) since 1974.  Last year the ABA received a complaint alleging that the Law School was not operating in compliance with certain ABA Standards.  We recently received notice that the ABA has rejected the complaint and has closed the matter. The…

Professor Elysa Dishman joined the BYU Law faculty August of 2016 and is teaching Professional Responsibility.  She previously practiced real estate law at Kirton McConkie PC in Salt Lake City.  Prior to working at Kirton McConkie PC, she practiced in the litigation group of Baker Botts LLP in Washington, DC.  Her research interests include ethics,…

“I am thrilled to return to BYU Law School as legal writing faculty because it combines the three elements that I have been most passionate about in my professional endeavors–teaching, legal writing, and BYU Law School,” she said. “I benefit daily from the quality of legal education I received at BYU Law and firmly believe…

Professor Alan E. Brownstein joined the BYU Law faculty in August 2016 as Distinguished Visiting Professor for fall semester.   He is teaching The Fourteenth Amendment and will also teach Church and State in the United States and International Protection of Religious Freedom with Professors Durham and Scharffs, “I was delighted to receive an invitation to…

BYU Law is pleased to introduce the Future of Law Lecture Series, a monthly series exploring the implications of technological advances and design innovations on law. Nicole Shanahan from the Stanford Center of Legal Informatics kicked off the series on September 14, 2016, with a presentation entitled, “Legal Artificial Intelligence: Lawyering in the AI Age.”…