Cross & Gavel Podcast

Trinity Law School Dean Myron Steeves has a vision for lawyers in ministry across the country. He says we ought to be looking for attorneys in the mold of the great reformer John Knox, who famously said, "Give me Scotland or I die," to gather and encourage lawyers in their mission in every city and every county. In this episode, Dean Steeves articulates this broad mission: addressing injustice, pursuing law reform, engaging in prayer ministry at the courthouse, encouraging church-centered mediation, and heeding the vocational call to minister to the client as a "whole person," among other things.

The conversation begins with host Mike Schutt asking how Christian attorneys might encourage their pastors, who have some anxiety in the wake of the Obergefell decision. Dean Steeves, who also advises non-profits, has some wisdom on the question of what Obergefell does and does not do, and why he is optimistic, at least in the very long term.

As the discussion moves to discuss the calling of Christian lawyers, generally, the topics range from the beauty of contract law ("it goes directly to the heart of what it means to be human") to the limits of litigation ("litigation is good for only one thing") and beyond. Schutt and Steeves touch on how groups of lawyers meeting in various places might better encourage one another to be "ministers to the whole person" and why "talking amongst ourselves" as attorneys is a pretty good idea.

You can find out more about Trinity Law School here and the Dean here. If you are interested in downloading early episodes (i.e., before iTunes) of Cross & Gavel Audio, they are available at the Christian Legal Society website, here.

Mike Peffer serves the Pacific Justice Institute as the Director of its Santa Ana office, and he sits down with C & G host Mike Schutt to talk about the work of PJI. Their conversation touches on trends in religious liberty cases, including zoning disputes, the need for ordinary attorneys to volunteer their time, and Christian Legal Aid.

Along the way, Peffer discusses his path to public interest law and recalls his rewarding work in Christian Legal Aid.

For more information about the Pacific Justice Institute, visit www.PJI.org.

Jamie Grosshans is a lawyer, a mom, and the wife of a lawyer. She believes that "balance" is a figment of somebody's imagination, that there is no traditional career path that is right for every woman, and that lawyers are stressed out. The good news is that she wouldn't trade her life for an ambassadorship and that she takes joy in her law practice and family, even in the face of a Pinterest account that tells her that her kids' snacks are inadequate.

Listen to her conversation with Mike Schutt, in which she shares her wisdom on mentors, the necessity of Christian community, and the proper use of ringtones. It's really good stuff.

Jamie's firm is Plain Street Law. She practices family law and criminal defense. She is a member of the Christian Legal Society and serves on the board of the Orlando chapter of CLS. She has three beautiful children.

Atlanta lawyers Bill Hollberg amd Eric Wilborn are domestic lawyers who represent clients who don't want a divorce. It's a tough way to make a living, but they say that this is how God has called them to love their neighbors with their legal skills. Their goal in every case is the reconciliation and restoration of the marriage, a goal that they admit they rarely reach.

What kind of divorce lawyers won't sue for divorce and refuse to handle "no-fault" cases? What leads an attorney to strive to treat opposing counsel and parties with kindness and patience, driven by the fruit of the Spirit?

Listen in as Mike Schutt discusses domestic defense work with Hollberg and Wilborn. Their approach to law practice is driven by their faith, rooted in Scripture, and designed to love and serve others. You might even be encouraged to take a closer look at your approach to your own vocation as well!

William B. Hollberg and Eric P. Wilborn are attorneys at Hollberg & Weaver LLP in Atlanta. Mike Schutt is director of Attorney Ministries for the Christian Legal Society and host of Cross & Gavel Audio.

Host Mike Schutt talks with criminal defense attorney J.T. Borah about "representing the guilty" to the glory of God. Mr. Borah discusses why process is more important than truth in a criminal trial, why Blackstone was right that "it is better to let ten guilty escape," and why one prosecutor tried to prohibit him from citing the Founding Fathers in Voir Dire. It's a great conversation!

This is a re-mixed recording of two previously published episodes early in the life of Cross & Gavel Audio. Rather than porting over the whole archive, we will from time to time re-publish older episodes to make our podcast library complete.

Bill Jack thinks Christians suffer from swimming in the waters of secularism and that we're hooked on being popular. After Colorado baker Jack Phillips was punished for declining to bake a cake for a homosexual wedding, Bill asked an LBGT-friendly bakery to bake some cakes with Bible verses on them. Yet he doesn't believe cakes are the issue.

Listen in as Bill talks with host Mike Schutt about the Obergefell decision, the Colorado cake capers, and the Church's challenge of proclaiming truth to those who don't wish to hear. Careful: He might step on your toes . . . and we sure wouldn't want to offend anyone, whould we?

Many are confused by the hype and hysteria surrounding RFRA -- the Religous Freedom Restoration Act, passed unanimously on the Federal level and signed into law by Bill Clinton. Why the hysteria over a similar act passed this year in Indiana? Why do both state AND federal RFRAs exist? And what is RLUIPA?

Kim Colby, who has been involved in religious liberty work for close to 35 years, answers these questions and more in our discussion.

Kimberllee Wood Colby is Senior Counsel and the Christian Legal Society's Center for Law and Religious Freedom.

Mike Schutt is CLS's director of the Institute for Christian Legal Studies and a visiting professor at Trinity Law School in Santa Ana, California.

Mike Schutt interviews Allisa Baier, an attorney with Open Door Legal Services at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission. Ms. Baer talks about her career path into legal aid, God's hand in using her in this field, and the challenges and rewards of working in Chrstiain Legal Aid.