Judaism is an ancient religion, whose ethical and cultural ideals have from its very beginnings been expressed in communal norms which have found form in the law. Those ideals have also been shaped by the Jewish interaction with the societies with which Jewish communities have interacted over the past 3,500 years. Jewish Law, then, concerns itself not only with matters ritual and "religious", but economic and practical as well. Thus, the study of Jewish Law and its sociological development provides a window into a system of Jewish ethics and culture throughout history that remains dynamic and vital to the contemporary period.
Jewish Law also impacts American Law. Whether on issues of religion in the public sphere, ethics and kosher slaughtering, or Jewish marriage and divorce, knowing about Jewish Law can deepen one’s perspective in understanding current events and current trends in American Law. JLAMT aims to keep its members informed of developments in both Jewish Law and American Law as they continue to inform one another and to interact.