Elder D. Todd Christofferson to speak at next JRCLS broadcast
Earlier this year I bemoaned the decision to have Steven Covey speak at the annual J. Reuben Clark Law Society conference and broadcast. In my opinion, a Mormon business and pop culture figure had nothing unique to offer a group of LDS attorneys. The way I see it, good JRCLS speakers could include recognized legal figures (such as former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who spoke in 2008) or perhaps LDS general authorities. But ideally, a JRCLS keynote speaker would be an attorney who could also speak with authority about legal issues the Mormon Church currently faces. A good example is Elder Lance Wickman, the LDS Church’s General Counsel, who spoke in 2006. But Mormon pop culture is something I would rather avoid. I don’t want to see Steve Young as a speaker—unless, of course, he’s talking about his BYU Law degree.
Fortunately, next year’s speaker meets virtually all criteria. The JRCLS just announced that Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve will be the speaker, and I’m looking forward to it. While his title indicates his position in the LDS Church, Christofferson also had an impressive legal career. He clerked for Judge John Sirica during the Watergate hearings, and later was associate general counsel for what was then NationsBank (now part of Bank of America). I wouldn’t expect any earth-shaking statements—general authorities are always careful of what they say—but he is in a perfect position to talk about the intersection of Mormonism and American law.
