Michael (Avi) Helfand is the senior legal advisor to the Teach Coalition. He also serves as 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 as well as the Florence Rogatz Visiting Professor at Yale Law School. His research considers how U.S. law treats religious law, religious institutions and religious practices. Professor Helfand’s academic articles have appeared in numerous law journals, including the Yale Law Journal, New York University Law Review, and Duke Law Journal. He also often provides media commentary on clashes between law and religion, writing for various public audience publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and the Forward. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School, PhD in Political Science from Yale University and B.A. from Yeshiva College.