Thirty-second Annual International Law and Religion Symposium
At a time of national divisions and fraying alliances, the 2025 BYU International Law and Religion Symposium will explore how religious freedom is protected in individual countries, both judicially and legislatively, as well as through regional organizations and under international law. How can these layers of protection work together to establish religious rights, the rule of law, and pluralism?
Organizer
The International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS) at Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School in Provo, Utah, was established in 2000 to promote and protect religious freedom worldwide. The center focuses on advancing knowledge of the relationship between law and religion, supporting scholarly research, and assisting governments and civil society in drafting legislation and constitutional frameworks. ICLRS organizes numerous global events, including the Annual International Law and Religion Symposium at BYU and regional conferences across various continents, as well as collaborations with institutions like Oxford University and participation in UN forums. Under the leadership of Professor Brett G. Scharffs, the center has become a leading authority on religious freedom, legislative reform, and international academic cooperation.
Venue
Brigham Young University (BYU) is a private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). BYU offers a variety of academic programs including those in the liberal arts, engineering, agriculture, management, physical and mathematical sciences, nursing, and law. Its undergraduate and graduate programs are organized into 11 colleges and schools at its main Provo campus, with some colleges and divisions defining their own admission standards. The university also administers four satellite campuses, one in Jerusalem, Salt Lake City, Washington, D.C., and London, while its parent organization the Church Educational System (CES) sponsors sister schools in Hawaii and Idaho. The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and has an “R1” Carnegie classification for its high level of research activity.