Course Overview
This course satisfies the continuing education (CLE) requirements for lawyers and legal professionals.
Exploring Law, Ethics, and the Decisions That Shape Real Life
For centuries, individuals and communities have brought real-world dilemmas to leading rabbinic authorities—seeking guidance on matters that touched every part of life. The written responses to these questions form a rich body of case literature known as Jewish legal responsa.
These cases are not theoretical. They deal with concrete situations—business disputes, family matters, medical questions, and communal responsibility—and reflect the challenge of applying enduring legal principles to lived human experience.
What makes this material especially compelling is the opportunity to see decision-making up close: how facts are evaluated, how precedent is interpreted, and how competing values are balanced in pursuit of ethical and just outcomes.
What this course explores
This six-week course examines a carefully selected set of real cases drawn from across centuries and continents. How serious legal thinkers approached difficult decisions—and how their methods compare with approaches familiar from modern legal systems, including U.S. law.
Topics include:
Fact-finding and the role of expertise
The use of precedent and analogy in new situations
Balancing competing values such as fairness, dignity, family life, and social responsibility
The human dimension of legal and ethical decision-making
Modern and future-facing questions, including technology and the ethics of AI
Course Details
Six In-Depth Sessions
In-person, led by Rabbi Mayer Brook.
First session: Thursday, January 29
Time: 1:00–2:30pm
Location: 200 S Balsamina Way, Portola Valley
Tuition:
$150 (textbook included)
$275 per couple (use code COUPLE)
Join the first session commitment-free.