America’s Founding Fathers took pains to explain that the Constitution was not written to bestow rights upon Americans. In fact, they believed the government did not have the power to bestow rights at all.
Instead, these men believed that all human beings are born with absolute rights that are given to them by God the Creator. Sir William Blackstone, an 18th-century English jurist, was one of the foremost teachers of this idea, and the Founders drew on his wisdom when drafting our Constitution.
Sadly, many Americans today have seemingly forgotten that our rights do not come from the government. Activists are routinely asking the government to manufacture “rights” out of thin air so that they can further their agenda.
At Alliance Defending Freedom, we remember Blackstone’s wisdom. We know that our rights come from God alone, and we believe this truth should guide the law in America. One way we work toward this goal is through a ministry called the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, which aims to build and strengthen a community of like-minded believers while training and equipping the next generation of Christian law students.
History of the Blackstone Legal Fellowship
The Blackstone Legal Fellowship was born from a conviction held by Alan Sears, founding president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom: that the future of the law would be shaped not only by intellect, but by formation. Alan envisioned a community where the most promising Christian law students would be formed in wisdom, mentored by accomplished scholars and practitioners, and prepared to carry both excellence and faith into the institutions that shape our legal culture.
At the heart of that vision was a belief that law is never neutral. It either reflects a moral vision of the human person, or it obscures one. For Alan, protecting God-given freedoms was not merely a legal objective, but a moral calling. That conviction found its natural expression in the Fellowship’s namesake, Sir William Blackstone. In his Commentaries on the Laws of England, Blackstone articulated a vision of law grounded in creation itself. He wrote that “when the Supreme Being formed the universe, and created matter out of nothing, he impressed certain principles upon that matter, from which it can never depart, and without which it would cease to be.” He went on to write, “the first and primary end of human laws is to maintain . . . these absolute [i.e., God-given] rights of individuals.” These ideas shaped the American legal tradition and, in turn, the foundations of the United States Constitution.
It was upon this understanding of law, rooted in moral order, human dignity, and responsibility, that the Blackstone Legal Fellowship was established. What began in 2000 as a small cohort of 24 interns has grown into a formative fellowship welcoming 200 Interns each year. Yet the animating idea remains unchanged: to form lawyers whose minds are sharpened, whose character is anchored, and whose lives are directed toward faithful influence.
The Blackstone Legal Fellowship summer program
Each summer, the Blackstone Legal Fellowship welcomes a select class of Christian law students into an intensive season of formation that shapes not only how they think about the law, but how they will live it. The program unfolds across three integrated phases, designed to cultivate community, sharpen judgment, and prepare future leaders to carry faith and excellence into the institutions that shape law and culture.
The summer begins with a shared experience of study and fellowship. Interns gather in one place to engage rigorous instruction in legal theory and practice, framed by history, philosophy, and Christian moral reasoning. Classroom learning is deepened through small-group dialogue, where ideas are tested, assumptions examined, and habits of thoughtful engagement formed. Daily rhythms of prayer, devotion, and worship anchor the intellectual life, reinforcing the conviction that faith and professional excellence belong together. In this setting, friendships take root—relationships marked by trust and shared purpose that often endure long after the summer ends.
From this foundation, Interns are sent into the profession itself. Over the course of a few weeks, they serve in substantive legal internships across the public and private sectors, including leading law firms, judges’ chambers, government offices, corporations, and influential nonprofit organizations. These legal internships are not merely professional stepping stones. They are formative encounters with the real demands of legal practice, where judgment is sharpened, skills are tested, and clarity of calling begins to emerge. Guided by Blackstone’s professional development counsel, Interns learn to steward their talents with integrity in environments where law and culture intersect most directly.
The summer concludes with a return to community and reflection. Interns reunite to hear from distinguished leaders across the legal profession who speak candidly about the moral weight of the law and the responsibilities it places on those who wield it. This final phase invites students to see the practice of law not simply as a career, but as a vocation: work undertaken in service to God and neighbor, with lasting consequences for individuals and communities. Together, they reflect, discern, and pray, seeking clarity about how their gifts may be most faithfully applied.
Completion of the summer marks the beginning of a lifelong fellowship. Those who complete the summer program in good standing are invited to apply for commissioning as Blackstone Fellows, entering a global community that provides ongoing mentorship, counsel, and professional support. Blackstone staff continue to walk alongside Fellows as they pursue positions of influence across the legal profession, helping them align excellence with conviction.
Since its founding, Blackstone has welcomed students from hundreds of law schools and commissioned thousands of Fellows whose work now reaches courtrooms, legislatures, firms, universities, and institutions around the world. For those who invest in Blackstone, the summer represents a decisive moment, where promise is refined into purpose, and future leaders are formed for lives of enduring influence.
What have Blackstone alumni said about their experience?
Blackstone changed the direction of my life. It didn’t give me answers so much as it gave me clarity about who I am, what the law is for, and how my faith must shape the way I practice it. – Blackstone Fellow, Class of 2025
I am so deeply grateful and thankful for Blackstone. At Blackstone, I was not only able to hear talks from premier scholars and individuals, but I was also able to meet a group of people with whom I hope to remain very close friends for the rest of my life. I leave Blackstone not only a better law student, ready to engage my peers on campus, but also with a much deeper and richer faith, thanks to everyone from my fellow interns to the speakers to the staff. I’m thrilled to share the message of Blackstone with my colleagues at law school and spread the grace and love of God to all those I meet, thanks to the abundance of love I experienced at Blackstone. – Blackstone Fellow, Class of 2025
Blackstone changed my life. Beyond the excellent classes and legal training, what impacted me the most was the community, the friendships, the mentors, and the constant encouragement to live with integrity and purpose. I carry with me not only knowledge, but also a renewed faith and hope for the future. – Blackstone Fellow, Class of 2025
Blackstone treated my professional development with a seriousness I had never encountered before. The guidance I received didn’t just help me secure a summer position; it taught me how to think strategically about my entire career, with integrity and purpose. – Blackstone Fellow, Class of 2024
What sets Blackstone apart is that it doesn’t treat professional development as resume building. It treats it as formation, but helps you discern where your gifts are best deployed and how to pursue excellence without compromising conviction. – Blackstone Fellow, Class of 2024
The importance of the Blackstone Legal Fellowship
The mission of Alliance Defending Freedom rests on a clear conviction: truth must be carried by people who are formed to bear it. The law is one of the primary places where this responsibility is tested, shaping not only outcomes but the moral direction of a culture.
The Blackstone Legal Fellowship exists to meet that responsibility at its source. Blackstone invests in people at a formative moment, gathering future lawyers into a community ordered toward faith, wisdom, and excellence. Here, students learn not only how to think clearly about the law, but how to practice it with integrity, holding conviction without contempt and ambition without losing their moral center.
The challenges ahead are real and enduring. Scripture prepares us for a life of faithfulness under pressure, not ease. Blackstone’s response is preparation rather than promise: forming lawyers who are steady, rooted, and capable of carrying truth with courage over the long arc of their lives. In this way, Blackstone looks beyond the present moment. By shaping leaders for endurance, ADF helps ensure that the defense of God-given freedoms is sustained not merely by victories, but by lives faithfully lived.
Sumi Thomas
Vice President, Blackstone Legal Fellowship