
Introduction
The 6th Annual JRCLS Religious Liberty Fellowship was held May 20–24, 2024, at the Founding Forward campus near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The program brought together 22 law students, new attorneys, and undergraduates from diverse faith backgrounds to learn from religious liberty experts and develop initiatives for their local communities.
This year’s curriculum included presentations on statutory protections by Josh McDaniel, Director of the Harvard Law School Religious Freedom Clinic, and on the Free Exercise Clause by Eric Baxter, Senior Counsel at Becket. Kayla Toney, Associate Counsel at First Liberty Institute, led a session on the Establishment Clause, while Jennie Lichter, Deputy General Counsel for Catholic University, discussed religious liberty in higher education.
In addition to sessions, the Fellows toured Valley Forge and Philadelphia, visiting historic sites like George Washington’s Headquarters and the Liberty Bell. They also developed and presented action plans for religious liberty initiatives to implement in their communities, such as:
- Organizing an interfaith religious freedom music festival
- Cataloging and protecting Indigenous religious sites in the Pacific Islands
- Creating a guide for event planners on meeting religiously diverse audiences
- Drafting law review articles on religious freedom
- Producing a TikTok series on Christian nationalism and religious freedom
- Developing a teacher training program on religious inclusivity
- Engaging in dialogues on religious freedom on college campuses amid Israeli-Palestinian conflict issues
Student Experiences
The JRCLS conferences left a lasting impact on several of our students, helping shape their professional goals and personal aspirations. Celeste Lehnardt described the experience as “profound,” sharing how the fellowship helped her build meaningful relationships with peers and legal professionals, and even led to an internship at a law firm in Honolulu. “During the interview, we talked about what I learned at the conference, and I was offered the position,” she said. Celeste also connected with presenters on LinkedIn and is now working to organize a religious freedom conference at BYUH. She added, “One speaker even inspired me to explore the intersection of LGBT rights and religious freedom.” Enna Hendrickson echoed this sense of transformation, saying the Valley Forge conference gave her clarity and confidence as she began to consider a career in law. “Before attending, I felt uncertain, but the conference helped me understand what paths were possible,” she said. Through personal conversations with speakers and peers, Enna gained direction on choosing a law school and felt inspired by stories from students on their journey to places like Harvard and UCLA.
Rishan Prasad found the conference to be equally transformative. “It deepened my commitment to advocating for religious liberty and cultural resilience, especially in the Pacific,” he said. Rishan engaged with NGO and legal professionals and is now exploring internships related to religious freedom and human rights. He was especially encouraged by advice from BYU Law and MPA alumni and hopes to follow a similar path, combining law and public administration. The experience sparked his vision for a Pasifika-focused initiative that promotes legal and cultural resilience in Oceania. “This conference gave me the knowledge and network I needed to move forward,” he said. Rishan plans to share these insights at BYU–Hawaii to help support other students working toward similar goals. Together, these students are taking what they learned and using it to build community, pursue justice, and expand the impact of religious freedom work across the globe.