Faith in the Law

By Meredith Alexander Kunz

Billy Graham would be proud. From a photo on the wall, the evangelist looks down on Michael Porrazzo, who speaks with pastors and church-school leaders. Porrazzo frequently dips into a Bible that sits prominently on his desk. But this is no minister's inner sanctum. It's a legal office in Laguna Niguel, where Porrazzo practices what some are calling "Christian law."

In fact, California is home to a handful of loosely affiliated attorneys who call their legal work "Christian." Some focus on church- or faith-related issues, while others simply strive to lead traditional law practices in accord with their religious values.

"I try my best to give legal advice that is not only lawful but scriptural and biblical as well," says Porrazzo. For example, when teaching his clients sexual-harassment prevention he cites the passage in Genesis in which Potiphar's wife makes unwanted advances on Joseph.

Some lawyers define their Christian focus by pursuing high-profile "religious freedom" cases. Alliance Defense Fun, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, operates a branch office in Folsom, and its California clients include a student suspended for wearing a Bible-verse T-shirt and church groups seeking to use public venues, says ADF legal counsel Timothy Chandler.

Christian attorneys may also volunteer time to defend their religious beliefs. Charles LiMandri, founder of the civil litigation Law Offices of Charles LiMandri in Rancho Santa Fe, dedicates about half of his firm's time to pro bono "Christian public interest" work. For example, he was a third-party defendant in the fight to keep a large cross standing on Mount Soledad in La Jolla (Trunk v. City of San Diego, 547 F. Supp. 2nd 1144 (S.D. Cal. 2007)) .

But the majority of Christian lawyers in California run traditional practices set apart only by their values. Some incorporate prayer: Andrew Dósa, a sole practitioner in Alameda, prays that opposing parties might "see things from a broader perspective." He sometimes asks his clients to forgive rather than sue. And when helping clients draw up wills, he uses a handout entitled "Estate Planning from God's Perspective."

To get the word out about their practices, some Christian lawyers advertise in an online business directory called The Shepherd's Guide (shepherdsguide.com). But just being open about shared beliefs can be enough to attract clients, attests Kathleen Ansari, a sole practitioner in Santa Clara. She feels her business law practice is accountable to clients, but also to God. However, that doesn't mean she works for free. "There's some misconception that this is our ministry," Ansari tells church-referred clients. "This is our job."

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