Contact: Brent M. McBurney, Director, Christian Legal Society, 703-642-1070 ext. 3206

SPRINGFIELD, Va., Oct. 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- Beginning Monday, October 6, 2008, and continuing through Sunday, October 12, 2008, the Christian Legal Society, Advocates International, and Advocates North America, will co-host the 5th Christian Lawyer Global Convocation at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.  The historic conference will draw more than 1000 attendees, including 500 Christian attorneys, judges, law professors and law students from 100+ nations, 200 law students from 33 U.S. Law Schools, and hundreds of Christian attorneys, judges, law professors and their spouses from 35 states.

Regional Christian lawyer groups from six continents will also hold meetings, including: Advocates Africa, Advocates Asia, Advocates Europe, Advocates Latin America, Advocates North America and Advocates Oceania. 

The Convocation will focus on six major global substantive issues:  Religious Freedom, Peace and Reconciliation, Justice for the Poor, Laws of Life, Family & Community, and Integrity under the Rule of Law.  On Wednesday, October 8, following a plenary address by Pepperdine University Law School Dean Kenneth W. Starr, there will be six Global Task Forces meeting to address these issues and discuss future plans and strategies.

On Thursday, October 9, 2008, 75 legal aid activists will participate in the annual Christian Legal Aid Leadership Conference. Legal Aid Clinic directors from cities throughout the U.S. will focus on a variety of topics including how to run a more efficient clinic, particularly through Justice Center Online, a state-of-the-art software for legal aid clinics.  There will also be an all-day litigation seminar on communication sponsored by the Christian Trial Lawyers Association.

On Friday, October 10 and Saturday, October 11, 240 law students will hold their own meetings and a special Christian Legal Scholars' Symposium will feature talks by Professor Michael P. Schutt, Director of the Institute for Christian Legal Studies and author of Redeeming Law: Christian Calling & the Legal Profession, and Professor J Budzeszewski of the University of Texas.

Keynote speakers at the Convocation include Kenneth W. Starr, Dean of Pepperdine School of Law and former U.S. Solicitor General; Samuel E. Ericsson, Founder & President of Advocates International; Andrea Minichiello Williams, a British Barrister and Founder of Christian Concern For Our Nation; Bob Fu, Founder & President of China Aid Association; Roelf Meyer, former Member of Parliament of South Africa and a lead negotiator ending apartheid, and Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, President of Love & Respect Ministries, best-selling author and internationally well-respected marriage expert.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

About the Christian Lawyer Global Convocation:  Please see www.globalconvocation.org.

About Christian Legal Society (CLS): Brent M. McBurney, Director CLS -- (703) 642-1070, ext. 3206; bmcburney@clsnet.org, www.clsnet.org.

About Advocates International (AI): Samuel E. Ericsson, President, AI – (703) 894-1084; samericsson@gmail.com, www.advocatesinternational.org.