Michael (Avi) Helfand

Brenden Mann Foundation Chair in Law & Religion, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law

Michael A. Helfand is the Brenden Mann Foundation Chair in Law and Religion and Co-Director of the Nootbaar Institute for Law, Religion and Ethics at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. In spring semesters, he serves as a Visiting Professor at Yale Law School, where he is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Brodie Center for Jewish and Israeli Law. In addition to his academic work, he serves as Senior Legal Advisor to the Orthodox Union’s Teach Coalition and Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. His scholarship examines religious liberty, the relationship between church and state, and how U.S. law shapes and protects Jewish law and life. His academic work has appeared in leading law journals, and he regularly writes for general audience publications including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and the Forward. He earned his J.D. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University.