BYU Law School Announces Religious Liberty Clinic
The new initiative offers second- and third-year law students hands-on experience in appellate religious freedom cases.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Latter-Day Saints
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Brigham Young University has announced the launch of a new Religious Liberty Clinic within its J. Reuben Clark Law School. The clinic will allow students to engage in legal work at the appellate level in both state and federal courts.
Why it matters
The program seeks to provide practical training for law students while actively promoting pluralism and bridge building in the legal community. By focusing on religious freedom cases, the clinic aims to prepare future attorneys for complex litigation.
The clinic will exclusively serve second- and third-year law students, focusing on the drafting of friend of the court briefs. It is scheduled to officially welcome its inaugural cohort during the 2027 winter semester.
The players
Brigham Young University
A private university in Provo, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Kelsey Baer Flores
An experienced legal professional who previously assisted in the creation of the Religious Liberty Clinic at Harvard Law School.
J. Reuben Clark Law School
The law school located at Brigham Young University that will host the new clinic.
The details
Under the leadership of director Kelsey Baer Flores, students will work on appellate religious freedom cases in state and federal courts. Flores brings prior experience from her time helping to establish a similar clinic at Harvard Law School.
Timeline
The first cohort of students will arrive during the 2027 winter semester.
Culture Shift
The establishment of this clinic reflects an ongoing trend of specialized clinical training programs in law schools that prioritize real-world litigation experience. This development mirrors the pedagogical approach taken by the Harvard Law School Religious Liberty Clinic.
Local law students gain access to specialized appellate experience that could influence their future career paths and legal specialization. The clinic aims to foster pluralism in the local legal community through the training of these future attorneys.
The takeaway
The addition of this clinic signals a focus on practical advocacy skills for students interested in constitutional law. Participants will benefit from direct involvement in appellate briefs, bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world legal outcomes.
What happens next
The clinic is scheduled to welcome its first student cohort during the 2027 winter semester.
Further reading
For more information on the academic environment, visit the Latter-Day Saints section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Salt Lake Tribune.
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