A Tribute to the Rieders Foundation Robert Katz, Professor of Law at IU McKinney School of Law

Law schools rarely offer courses on antisemitism and the law. As a result, generations of law students have graduated ignorant about how the law harms Jews and can be used to help them.  To fill this gap, I decided to write a casebook on antisemitism and the law, the absence of which makes it too difficult for most busy law professors to teach. 

Several years ago, few people recognized the need for such courses and the essential role a casebook could play in making them available. Anthony Julius, England’s foremost Jewish legal advocate (and Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt's attorney in Irving v. Lipstadt), has said that when Jews' enemies come to give us fight, we have one choice – to give it back, including through the law. In my view, the Jewish community's failure to grasp the need for legal training on antisemitism was a form of unilateral intellectual disarmament.  

When I approached funder for support on the project, I typically received either no response or blank stares. The Rieders Foundation, in stark contrast, immediately understood the unusual value proposition: Jewish law students would find a safe space to discuss antisemitism, gain confidence to demand changes on campus, and acquire knowledge and skills to combat antisemitism throughout their careers.  Unaided law professors may spend up to ten years completing a casebook. With the Rieders Foundation's support, I was able to hire researchers to help me complete the task in two years.  Its support, moreover, was far more than financial.  Cliff Rieders provided me with critical advice and assistance in gaining recognition and allies for the project. 

 Since the horrific events of 10/7, many more people have recognized the need to train future lawyers how to defend Jewish rights and safety. Thanks to the Rieders Foundation's foresight and openness to new ideas, Antisemitism and the Law will be on bookshelves and in classrooms in a matter of months. 

Robert Katz, Professor of Law

IU McKinney School of Law 

Fighting Against Discrimination