Pepperdine Caruso School of Law’s Nootbaar Institute for Law, Religion, and Ethics co-sponsored the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center’s inaugural “Combating Antisemitism Through the Law” conference, held February 2-4, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The first-of-its-kind gathering convened judges, legal scholars, policymakers, and attorneys to discuss and develop legal strategies to counter the surge in antisemitism across the United States.
Professor Michael A. Helfand, the Brenden Mann Foundation Chair in Law and Religion at Pepperdine and co-director of the Nootbaar Institute, spoke on the panel “Current Law, Litigation, and More” alongside Alyza Lewin (Brandeis Center), Baruch Weiss (Arnold & Porter), and Akiva Shapiro (Gibson Dunn), with an introduction by Shukie Grossman (Gibson Dunn). The panel explored key legal battles shaping the fight against antisemitism, including recent campus-related litigation, First Amendment challenges, and new legal strategies to hold institutions accountable.
Other sessions at the conference featured:
- Federal judges Matthew Solomson (Fed. Cl.), Robert Luck (11th Cir.), and Robert Scola (S.D. Fla.) reflecting on recent antisemitism-related litigation, introduced by Yehudah Buchweitz (Weil Gotshal).
- Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY) discussing congressional initiatives to combat antisemitism.
- Jewish law scholars Rabbi Shlomo Weissmann (Beth Din of America) and Professor Chaim Saiman (Villanova Law) examining the intersection of beis din (Jewish court) practice and secular law.
- Maury Litwack, founder of the Teach Coalition, speaking on the role of Jewish advocacy in policymaking.
- A corporate panel on antisemitism in the workplace, featuring Suzanne Wachsstock (Walmart), Mitchell Silk (former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Treasury), Jessica Cohen (Verizon), and Hillel Caplan (Deloitte), moderated by Joe Goldman (Jones Day).
The conference also featured two keynote addresses:
- Paul D. Clement, former Solicitor General of the United States, delivered an in-depth analysis of legal responses to antisemitism and the judiciary’s evolving role in these cases.
- David Schizer, Harvey R. Miller Professor of Law and Economics and Dean Emeritus of Columbia University Law School, reflected on his experiences as co-chair of Columbia’s task force on combating antisemitism and the challenges of addressing antisemitism in higher education.
Professor Helfand underscored the significance of the event, stating, “Jewish legal advocacy has, by all accounts, taken on a greater urgency. The stakes are high, and the legal issues are complex. That is why the Orthodox Union Advocacy conference was such a timely and essential gathering—bringing together legal minds to forge new strategies for combating antisemitism. Pepperdine’s Nootbaar Institute is proud to have been a co-sponsor of this first-of-its-kind event.”
Nathan Diament, executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, emphasized the conference’s importance, “Antisemitism in the United States has surged to unprecedented levels in the aftermath of the terrible attacks on October 7, 2023, and lawyers have been at the forefront of fighting to beat it back. But the crisis is ongoing, and that’s why we felt the need to convene attorneys from across the profession to develop new strategies to fight this scourge. Pepperdine and Professor Helfand were natural partners for this historic conference, and the Orthodox Union is deeply grateful for their allyship.”
Notably, Pepperdine Caruso Law was the only law school to co-sponsor the conference, reaffirming its commitment to religious liberty, legal advocacy, and combating antisemitism.
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