Pepperdine's Nootbaar Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics to Host Third Annual Faith and Justice Spring Break Trip
From Wednesday, March 6, to Saturday, March 9, 2024, the Nootbaar Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law will host a select group of students as they travel to Montgomery, Alabama, for the third annual Faith and Justice Spring Break Trip. Since 2022, the Nootbaar Institute has partnered with the law school’s Office of Student Life, Diversity, and Belonging to co-sponsor the trip.
As part of the enrichment activities, students will visit the National Memorial for Peace and Justice developed by attorney Bryan Stevenson to remember victims of lynching and racial violence in the US and the Legacy Museum that tells the story of slavery in America and its legacy through interactive media, first-person narratives, world-class art, and data-rich exhibits. Students will also take a walking tour of downtown Montgomery to explore historical landmarks such as the intersection that saw both the start of the Civil War and Rosa Parks's protests, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, the Bus Boycott, the Selma-to-Montgomery march, the National Civil Rights Memorial at the Southern Poverty Law Center, the site where the 1901 Constitution of Alabama was written, and the Greyhound station where a white mob attacked the Freedom Riders. Students may also have an opportunity to meet with legendary civil rights attorneys and leaders that reside in the area.
The purpose of the trip is to provide law students with a transformative, faith-based experience while they explore questions of race, justice, law, and ethics, as well as confront the country’s complex history of racial divide and violence. Along with several members of the law school faculty, students will share meals together and be encouraged to reflect on their experiences through the lens of their faith, personal values, legal education, and career goals.
“The Faith and Justice Spring Break Trip gives law students an opportunity to travel through the history of destructive violence that shaped our nation and reflect on the ways faith and law have been historically used to both oppress people—and undo oppression,” shares Jennifer Koh, co-director of the Nootbaar Institute. “This unique experience encourages students to explore and challenge their understanding of the justice system while getting an opportunity to learn from the travesties of the past to help create a better future.”
The Faith and Justice Spring Break Trip is open to all Caruso School of Law juris doctor candidates, including first-year students, without financial cost for travel, housing, and group meals. For more information, visit the Faith and Justice Spring Break Trip website.