Lawyers for Jesus Radio

Tom Ciesielka is the founder and president of TC Public Relations, a company that specializes in crisis communications, media relations, and social media strategy for churches, ministries, lawyers, and nonprofit organizations.

Reed Smith is Director of Litigation for the Christian Legal Society’s Center for Law and Religious Freedom where he helps to defend and advance religious liberty. Recently, Reed discussed the problems with the American Bar Association’s newly adopted and controversial rule on behalf of the Christian Legal Society.

Jeanette Ward is a conservative candidate running for Illinois Senate in District 25 who has promised to tenaciously defend life, liberty, sound fiscal policy, parental freedom, and the 2nd Amendment. Previously, Jeanette was a member of school board U-46 for four years, the largest elected school board in Illinois.

Jerry Evans is a Christian entrepreneur, small business owner, and family man who is running for Congress in Illinois’ 14th District. Jerry has invested first-hand in his community, owning a music school in Wheaton where he teaches students to play a variety of instruments.

Reed Smith is Director of Litigation for the Christian Legal Society’s Center for Law and Religious Freedom where he helps to defend and advance religious liberty. Prior to joining CLS, Reed worked as legal counsel at First Liberty Institute where he defended the Constitutional rights of student groups, churches, other attorneys, and more. Reed also practiced commercial and intellectual property litigation at a chambers-rated litigation boutique in Houston, Texas and clerked for the Honorable Catharina Haynes on the Fifth Circuit and Judge Paul Stickney in the Northern District of Texas.

Jeanne Ives served three terms as an Illinois State Representative and demonstrated not only a willingness to lead on difficult issues, but also an insightful understanding of policy. In 2018 she ran a close race against Illinois’ incumbent Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and today she is running for Congress in Illinois’ Sixth District.

Bruce Strom is the Founder and CEO of Administer Justice, one of the largest legal ministries in America. Administer Justice actively engages Christ Followers to serve the legal and spiritual needs of the poor by establishing Gospel Justice Centers across the country.

Wesley Covert is a partner at the law firm of Laner Muchin who focuses his practice on all aspects of employee benefits law. As a Christian attorney with a firm specializing in labor law, Wesley can speak to religious accommodations and the rights of employers when it comes to religious expression in the workplace.

Drew Hutcheson and Brad Taunton are the founders of Vigilant Ministry Partners. Vigilant Ministry Partners is a company on a mission to help prevent children from sexual abuse in the church and other settings with extensive background checks. They represent the interests of local churches, mission agencies, schools, and nonprofits.

Natt Gantt is Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as well as the Co-Director of the Center for Ethical Formation and Legal Education Reform at Regent University School of Law. Natt also regularly writes about professional identity, ethics, and other areas of significance to lawyers and law students.

Alex Lehan is a student at the University of Illinois and a pro-life leader with the organization WeDignify. The mission of WeDignify is to equip, educate, and empower college students to lead pro-life groups on campus.

Denise Harley serves as legal counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom where she is a member of the Center for Life. In this role, Denise focuses her litigation efforts on defending the First Amendment freedoms of pro-life healthcare professionals and pregnancy resource centers.

Michael Medved is a nationally syndicated radio host, bestselling author, political commentator, and film critic. His most recent book, God’s Hand on America: Divine Providence in the Modern Era, asks the question, “has God withdrawn his special blessing from the United States?”

Steve Bretsen is an Associate Professor who holds the Volkman Chair of Business and Law at Wheaton College. Steve is also Wheaton College’s Prelaw Advisor, helping guide the paths of students interested in attending law school after graduation. Previously, Steve was an in-house attorney and a director of mergers and acquisitions for several Fortune 500 companies.

Peter Breen is a constitutional attorney, former Illinois State Representative, and Founder of Fair Maps Illinois, a grassroots effort to amend the Illinois Constitution and break the hold of corrupt gerrymandering. With Fair Maps Illinois, voters can guarantee maps that allow them to elect legislators that represent their community and their interests, not operatives chosen by a disconnected and broken political Machine.

Michael Allen is Lead Pastor of Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago, whose mission is to grow and develop servant-followers of Jesus who will impact our world. Uptown Baptist Church recently partnered with Together Chicago, which Pastor Allen Co-Founded, and the Gospel Justice Initiative to open a Gospel Justice Center to the Uptown Community.

Ken Liu is Director of Christian Legal Aid with the Christian Legal Society. In this role, Ken has been able to help start and grow Christian legal aid programs around the country. Through his involvement with legal aid, Ken has been able to provide legal and spiritual counseling to many low-income clients.

Eric Scheidler became a pro-life activist at only six years old when his parents, Joe and Ann Scheidler, got involved in the pro-life movement shortly before the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling. Currently, Eric is Executive Director of Pro-Life Action League, an organization on the frontlines of the battle for unborn life.

Ray Hacke is an attorney at the Pacific Justice Institute, a non-profit legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. Prior to becoming an attorney, Ray was an award-winning sportswriter, but felt compelled to switch careers when he saw that religious liberty was under attack.

Hesham Shehab used to be a devout Muslim in Lebanon and considered Christians to be his enemies. Now, Hesham is the pastor of Salam Christian Fellowship, a ministry dedicated to sharing the Gospel with Muslim and Middle Eastern immigrants in the Chicagoland area.

Dawn Fitzpatrick is Board President of the March for Life Chicago, the Midwest’s largest pro-life event. This celebration of human dignity welcomes people of all ages to come together and show their support for the unborn in a culture that largely devalues these lives. This year, the March for Life is expected to be larger and more-attended than ever.

Tim Harlow is the senior pastor at Parkview Christian Church, a multi-site church in the south suburbs of Chicago dedicated to bringing people back to God. Pastor Tim is the author of What Made Jesus Mad, a timely book in which people can rediscover the blunt, sarcastic, and passionate savior of the Bible.

John Murdock is a self-styled “Christian conservative tree-hugger” who worked as a natural-resources attorney in Washington DC for over a decade. In the past John taught environmental law at Handong International Law School in South Korea and now practices natural resources law in the public sector.

Steven Leahy is the founder of Opem Tax Resolution where he practices law, helping individuals and businesses fight the IRS and resolve their tax problems. Steven hosts two weekly radio shows on AM 560: “The IRS Radio Hour” where he addresses common tax issues, and “Trust Radio Network” where Steven and his nephew Jim get other trusted professionals to share their knowledge and expertise.

Adam Gustine is the author of Becoming a Just Church: Cultivating Communities of God’s Shalom, a book in which he urges local churches to embrace justice so fully that the body of Christ becomes a prophetic alternative to the broken systems of the world as God intended. Adam is also the founder of Jubilee Ventures, an organization dedicated to restoring and extending opportunity to underestimated entrepreneurs in his community.

Luke Goodrich is Vice President and Senior Legal Counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a public-interest legal institute with a mission to protect religious freedom for all. His new book, Free to Believe: The Battle Over Religious Liberty in America, helps people of faith understand religious liberty in our rapidly changing culture—why it matters, how it is threatened, and how to respond with confidence and grace.

Benjamin Bull serves as General Counsel of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. He leads the NCOSE Law Center fighting child sexual abuse, illegal pornography, sex trafficking, and other forms of abuse and exploitation. Benjamin was also the founder and Executive Director of ADF International, a leading global human rights organization.

Caleb Dalton serves as legal counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom where he plays a key role at the Center for Academic Freedom. ADF’s Center for Academic Freedom Recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of Peter Vlaming, who was fired from his job at West Point High School in Williamsburg, Virginia, for declining to refer to a female student with male pronouns.

Natt Gantt is Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as well as the Co-Director of the Center for Ethical Formation and Legal Education Reform at Regent University School of Law. He regularly writes about professional identity, ethics, and other areas of significance to lawyers and law students.

Harold is an attorney, arbitrator, mediator, teacher, trainer, speaker, writer, and conflict coach. He has mediated and arbitrated hundreds of litigated and non-litigated disputes over a 30+ year legal and ADR career. Harold is also a panelist of the American Arbitration Association, the Superior Court of California, the California Association of Realtors, and the Institute of Christian Conciliation. Matt is a full-time California attorney-conciliator with over 30 years of experience in complex construction disputes, mediation, and arbitration, who has successfully mediated over 600 construction cases to settlement. Matt is also President and CEO of ICC Peace, a Biblically-based Christian conciliation organization.

Ryan Tucker serves as senior counsel and director of the Center for Christian Ministries with Alliance Defending Freedom. Ryan oversees litigation efforts to maintain and defend the freedom of churches, Christian ministries, and religious schools to exercise their First Amendment Rights.

Hesham Shehab grew up in a world of bitter animosity between Muslims and Christians in Lebanon. By age 13 he was recruited by the Muslim Brotherhood and later fought against Christians in the Lebanese Civil War. Now, Hesham is the pastor of Salam Christian Fellowship, a ministry dedicated to sharing the Gospel with Muslim and Middle Eastern immigrants in the Chicagoland area. Salam’s objective is to bring these immigrants to the saving grace of Christ Jesus through teaching and baptism.

Neville Reid is a capital partner and co-chair of Bankruptcy, Restructuring, and Creditors’ Rights Group at the law firm of Fox Swibel Levin & Carroll. Neville is also a member and volunteer of Kairos Prison Ministries and Vice Chair of its Advisory Council. Recently, he played an integral role in a bankruptcy case for Johnson Publishing Company and the auction of artifacts relating to African American history.

Julia Heinz is the Principal of Saint Paul Lutheran School in Mount Prospect Illinois. Saint Paul has a long, rich history of providing a loving, safe, and nurturing Christian education to the community since 1922. Building relationships, not just within the classroom, but also within the community has been and continues to be their priority while providing a place of academic distinction.

David Barton is the Founder of Wallbuilders, a national organization dedicated to presenting America’s forgotten history and heroes. Wallbuilders’ goals are to educate the nation concerning our foundations, support public policy that reflects Biblical values, and encourage Christians to be more involved in the civic arena.

Thomas Olp is Vice President and Senior Counsel of the Thomas More Society, a national not-for-profit public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. Based in Chicago, Thomas More Society defends and fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way to the United States Supreme Court.

Manny Flores is the President and CEO of SomerCor, a small business administration certified development company that plays a critical role in filling the financing gap for businesses that face barriers to traditional loans, and also for those that want to preserve working capital. SomerCor’s mission is to grow business and create jobs by partnering with banks and other lending institutions to provide capital to small businesses in Illinois.

Melissa H. DeVries is a partner attorney at Hoogendoorn & Talbot LLP who focuses her practice on estate planning, estate administration, and more. Melissa maintains a diverse client base of individuals and couples with all levels of estate planning needs and works closely with them to determine their goals and tailor a plan accordingly.

Pastor Rob Stevenson is the Senior Pastor of Rock of Our Salvation Evangelical Free Church. Beyond the pulpit, Pastor Rob is an influential voice in Chicago’s Austin community through involvement with Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy and Clergy Coalition. He also sits on the board of directors for Circle Urban Ministries and is Chaplain for the Columbus Park Golf Course.

Kate Trammell is the director of state policy at Prison Fellowship, which is the nation’s largest Christian nonprofit serving prisoners, former inmates, and their families. Kate is well-versed in criminal law and research, and has unique experience conducting state-level advocacy campaigns while equipping local churches for political engagement.

Carl Esbeck is Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Missouri where he taught classes on civil procedure, constitutional law, religious liberty and civil rights. Carl has been active in promoting and defending religious liberty throughout his career and has published widely in the area of religious liberty and church-state relations, including a new book, Disestablishment and Religious Dissent: Church-State Relations in the New American States, 1776–1833.

Clarke Forsythe has been serving as Senior Counsel with Americans United for Life for 35 years. Americans United for Life is a national public policy organization with a mission to achieve comprehensive legal protection for human life from conception to natural death. In addition to writing numerous law review articles, Clarke is also the author of two books: Abuse of Discretion: The Inside Story of Roe V. Wade, and Politics for the Greatest Good: The Case for Prudence in the Public Square.

Clarke Forsythe has been serving as Senior Counsel with Americans United for Life for 35 years. Americans United for Life is a national public policy organization with a mission to achieve comprehensive legal protection for human life from conception to natural death. In addition to writing numerous law review articles, Clarke is also the author of two books: Abuse of Discretion: The Inside Story of Roe V. Wade, and Politics for the Greatest Good: The Case for Prudence in the Public Square.

Rita Lowery Gitchell is a defense litigator who speaks on and has authored several publications about the legal status of frozen human embryos. Her expertise has been called on by the Thomas More Society to help with several cases involving the personhood of human embryos, including several briefs on behalf of the American Association of prolife Obstetricians and Gynecologists, one of which was read by the US Supreme Court.

Dr. Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom is the professor of Theology and Ethics at North Park University and the Director of North Park Theological Seminary’s School of Restorative Arts. Housed in Stateville Correctional Center, the School of Restorative Arts offers an MA in Christian Ministry and allows both free and incarcerated students to study together.

Rev. Alvin Bibbs is President and CEO of the Justice Journey Alliance, a Christian ministry in Chicago with a vision to reach an ever-increasing population divided by race and injustice. He also serves as the Community & Faith Engagement Officer with Together Chicago, a local initiative aimed at transforming communities and ending gun violence in the City by addressing the root causes.

Today we will be speaking with Jim Campbell who serves as senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom where he has worked on religious freedom cases such as Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, where he successfully defended cake artist Jack Phillips, who was sued for declining to design a custom wedding cake celebrating a same-sex marriage. Currently Jim is involved in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court involving a Michigan funeral home that is being challenged over their enforcement of a sex-specific dress code.

David Koyzis is the author of Political Visions and Illusions: A Survey and Christian Critique of Contemporary Ideologies, which is now in its second edition. David is also Fellow in Politics at the St. George's Centre for Biblical and Public Theology after teaching politics for thirty years at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada.

Kim Colby is the Director of Christian Legal Society’s Center for Law & Religious Freedom. Kim has represented religious groups in several appellate cases, including two heard by the United States Supreme Court and also assisted in congressional passage of the Equal Access Act, which protects the right of secondary school students to meet for prayer and Bible study on campus. Access her Religious Freedom Toolkit here: https://www.clsreligiousfreedom.org/resources/religious-freedom-toolkit

Dan Gruber is an author, teacher, and student of the Scriptures, often dealing with longstanding political and religious questions. He teaches the Bible and faith in Jesus the Messiah from a radical Jewish perspective which has led him to a stinging critique of the fundamentals of our laws and legal systems. Most recently he has written, "Law Without Authority or Limits: Kelsen's Dilemma". Find the book here: www.amazon.com/Law-without-Autho…ns/dp/1090343981/

Dan Gruber is an author, teacher, and student of the Scriptures, often dealing with longstanding political and religious questions. He teaches the Bible and faith in Jesus the Messiah from a radical Jewish perspective which has led him to a stinging critique of the fundamentals of our laws and legal systems. Most recently he has written, "Law Without Authority or Limits: Kelsen's Dilemma". Find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Law-without-Authority-Limits-Kelsens/dp/1090343981/