Over the east entrance to Langdell Hall, the library at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, these Latin words are engraved in stone: non sub homine sed sub deo et lege.
It only takes a moment, and a little help from Josh Davey, to make the translation: not under man but under god and law.
It only takes a few more moments, conversing with Josh, to realize how appropriate these words are for his life and his career. He is truly committed to his faith in the law and to his faith in God.
Josh came to Northwest planning to major in ministry. In October of his freshman year, he discovered this decision would cost him financially. He had won a Promise Scholarship from the state of Washington. But his decision to major in ministry ran afoul of the state constitution’s ban on public support for religious instruction.
“I believed that the state’s exclusion of theology majors from Promise Scholarships was wrong,” Josh states, “both as a matter of constitutional law and as a matter of social policy.”
He decided to take a stand against what he considered to be a grave injustice. He kept his ministry major and forfeited the scholarship.
He also contacted the American Center for Law and Justice, a public-interest law firm that specializes in religious liberties litigation. With their representation, pro-bono, Josh sued several Washington officials, including then-governor Gary Locke, arguing that the state’s exclusion of theology majors from the Promise Scholarship program violated his rights to free speech, free exercise of religion, and equal protection under the laws.
The case, Locke v. Davey, gained national attention. It went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against Josh in 2004.
Even though Josh lost the case, he discovered a love for the law.
“As my legal drama unfolded, it began to have a profound impact on my own education and career goals,” he recounts. “My academic emphasis shifted from ministry to law.”
Josh graduated Summa Cum Laude from Northwest in 2003. He also was accepted at Harvard Law School.
“To some, it might seem as though ministry and law could not be more removed from one another. It might even seem that it would be impossible to be both a good lawyer and a faithful Christian,” observes Josh.
“To me, nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, the same motivations that led me toward the ministry – a desire to live out my faith in a practical way, to help others, and to make a positive contribution to society – now lead me toward the law.”
Josh is now in his third year at Harvard Law. This year, he is the Managing Editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy and is the Vice President of the Harvard Society for Law, Life, and Religion.
“At Northwest, professors like Dr. Darrell Hobson and Dr. Jim Heugel helped in the formation of my world view and the maturation of my faith.”
After graduation, Josh will work for a law firm in Charlotte, N.C., for one year, then will clerk for Judge Dennis Shedd of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Josh Davey made news when his case was argued before the Supreme Court. It may not be long before Josh Davey, attorney at law, argues cases in person before that august tribunal.
