Michael A. Helfand Michael A. Helfand is an expert on religious law and religious liberty. He is currently Vice Dean for Faculty and Research and Professor of Law at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law, visiting professor and Oscar M. Ruebhausen Distinguished Fellow at Yale Law School, and a Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. Recent Stories Dec 15, 2021 Is the Christmas tree a religious symbol under the law? Dec 3, 2020 The Supreme Court ruling on synagogue reopenings, explained