Liberty Law holds annual Ad Fontes Ceremony to honor the calling of Christian lawyers

On Friday, Liberty University School of Law third-year students touched the Ebenezer Stone during the annual Ad Fontes Ceremony. Held in the law school’s Supreme Courtroom, the ceremony is an event for the upcoming graduating class of third-year students to celebrate God’s faithfulness to their class and to demonstrate their commitment to upholding the law.

Ad Fontes, which means “back to the sources” in Latin, is a ceremony unique to Liberty Law. It began as a way of providing third-year students with an opportunity to renew their focus on Scripture as the ultimate source of truth and how that truth impacts faith and law. The ceremony also emphasizes the unique contribution that the Christian faith and worldview has had on the Western legal tradition. A special part of the ceremony is when third-year students can touch the school’s Ebenezer Stone, believed to be from Mt. Sinai and given to the law school by Liberty founder Jerry Falwell Sr., who procured it as a reminder that God ordained and established the school and that He will remain faithful to it. The third-year students are the only ones allowed to touch the stone. The idea of the Ebenezer Stone is rooted in 1 Samuel 7:12, and it commemorates the Lord’s help to the people of Israel.

This year’s class of third-year students represent 25 states across the United States, and it includes two international students from China and Canada.

After welcoming the students and guests, School of Law Interim Dean Timothy Todd introduced Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development Rodney Chrisman, who prayed over the audience and ceremony. There was a time of worship after the prayer, where two Liberty Law students led the congregation in singing “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and “Firm Foundation.”

Following the worship, Todd gave special remarks about the history of the Ebenezer Stone and discussed the importance of ceremonies in Scripture.

“Today, we gather in this ceremony to both celebrate a milestone in your law school journey and also to reflect and remember on our unique calling as Christian lawyers,” he said. “As you draw closer to graduation, and as we are remembering and celebrating today, you are joining a rich (lineage) of lawyers, scholars, and thinkers throughout history who have held firm to these foundational truths that all goodness, all virtue, (and) all righteousness flows from and emanates from God and is revealed by Him in Holy Scripture.”

After Todd closed his remarks, Associate Dean for Administration and Student Development David Miller introduced each third-year student to the stage as they placed their hands on the Ebenezer Stone and were presented with a Liberty Law pin.

Once each student had touched the stone, Todd welcomed keynote speaker Jeffrey Tuomala, who was the founding associate dean of Liberty Law with over 30 years of experience in Christian legal education, having taught at other law schools and also serving as a judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps. Tuomala focused his message on “going forward.”

He encouraged the students in their faith and callings by discussing quotes from historical figures like former President John Adams and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania George Sharswood. He then shared some lessons he has learned from people in his own life, and he ended by emphasizing the importance of having a Christian worldview and understanding the worldviews of others.

“Christian ministry isn’t something you do in addition to practicing law; practicing law is ministry,” he said. “The only basis for law as opposed to politics is in the objective standard of God’s law. Having a Christian worldview (is the) only basis for rationality. God created all things, and all things hold together in Christ. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth forevermore. Go serve your King.”

For 20 years, Liberty University School of Law has Trained Champions for Christ to enter their careers as practice-ready attorneys and legal professionals. With an innovative Lawyering Skills Program, Liberty Law is modeling for the academic world how to equip students to pursue excellence in their field while maintaining a commitment to biblical values. Liberty Law offers a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) with 12 areas of study; Juris Master (J.M.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs are offered online.