What inspired his career ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌



ADF Programs



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Help train the next generation of Christian leaders—Your tax-deductible gift will be doubled!

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Dear John,

Though he was only in high school at the time, one of the students from this year’s Blackstone class was watching.

And he felt helpless.

Over 10 years ago, this student and his family risked losing the church they had planted. The Korean church was able to meet in a New York City public school on the Upper West side because of an injunction ADF attorneys had won in federal court against the policy banning worship services in public schools during non-school hours. But the court appeals ran out, and with the final ruling upholding the policy. Then Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he would give the churches three months to move out before he enforced the policy and evicted churches that met at public schools. For those months it looked like Mayor Bloomberg might succeed, and that this student and his family would lose the meeting place for their church. But ADF attorneys were able to win a new injunction that kept the churches and other religious groups meeting in the NYC public schools for the next three years.

This year, when he applied to the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, the student shared the inspiring story of how that event inspired him to pursue law school…



This experience had a profound impact on me. As I watched my parents and similarly affected church leaders fight back—from lobbying state and local legislatures to staging peaceful protests across the Brooklyn Bridge and in front of City Hall—I experienced, firsthand, both at home and at church, how great an impact the law could have on people. And when the Second Circuit reversed the District Court’s injunction enjoining the city-wide policy—thereby effectively rendering our church homeless—I watched as my father went out into the city each day to look for a new home for our church. Watching these events unfold, I remember feeling angry and indignant, but also helpless, that I could not meaningfully help the situation.

But thankfully for my family and our church during this time, we became clients of ADF’s Jordan Lorence. Jordan led the legal fight on behalf of evicted churches against Mayor Bloomberg’s policy, and as a result, my father worked closely with Jordan and often sought his counsel. I recall how much Jordan raised my parents’ spirits during this time—in one particular instance, even counseling my father while he was on vacation—and indeed how instrumental he was in eventually getting Mayor [DeBlasio] to withdraw the policy. And although I had never met Jordan then, my father was so impressed and moved by his help that he asked how his son could get involved with ADF; to this, Jordan advised my father to have me enter law school and apply for the Blackstone Fellowship. Now, roughly ten years later, I am struck by God’s realizing this vision.



Double Your Impact for the Next Generation

Across the country, there are hundreds of students just like this one.

They may be watching events unfolding in our country right now and feeling helpless. They might be inspired to pursue law to help protect our God-given rights to speak and believe freely.

The Blackstone Legal Fellowship is the perfect fit for law students like this.

This unique program gives the next generation of Christian leaders the education and tools they need to defend your constitutional freedoms—whether it be in the courtroom, in the halls of government, or in other leadership positions.

But each year, we have to turn away dozens of highly qualified Blackstone applicants. Our resources only go so far.

We spend nearly $25,000 for each student who participates in the program. Training these impressive young people is only possible with God’s blessing and your support.

That’s why your help is needed.

If you care about the current battles for religious freedom in this country, please consider making a tax-deductible gift today to help grow this important program, John.

Generous ADF Ministry Friends have donated a $250,000 grant to match your gift to support the Blackstone Legal Fellowship dollar for dollar. That means your gift today will be doubled—a $10 gift will become $20, a $100 gift will become $200, and a $1,000 gift will become $2,000.

But the match won’t last forever.

Will you take advantage of this rare opportunity to double your gift right now?

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Thank you for your generosity.


DONATE NOW

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Your tax-deductible gift will be doubled!

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