Expert Witness - Islamic Law
Todd Gallinger is an attorney, trained academic, and an expert on issues involving Shari’a/Islamic Law. He is available to give opinions, testify, and write expert reports, and counsels concerning the understanding and use of Shari’a (Islamic law) and the law of Muslim nations. Mr. Gallinger has submitted testimony pertaining to International Custody Disputes and has worked practically for many years in areas of Islamic Inheritance and Business Law.
In addition to years of practical experience, Mr. Gallinger has degrees in Religious and Islamic Studies and is a trained educator and presenter. He is able to use his academic and practical knowledge to assist attorneys and clients in charting the best strategy and also share this knowledge with a judge or jury in an understandable fashion.
Contact Us
Meet Todd Gallinger
Todd Gallinger, esq.
Attorney & Islamic Legal Expert
PROFILE
Todd has over a decade of experience assisting individuals, nonprofits, and
businesses with a wide range of legal issues. He has also served as a nonprofit executive, management consultant, intellectual property licensing professional, and board member. Throughout his career, he’s invested in ongoing training in Islamic law and jurisprudence and utilized that training to help American Muslims navigate their desire to live religiously observant and civically responsible lives.
- 888-255-9147
- Todd@gallingerlaw.com
- www.GallingerLaw.com
MEMBERSHIPS
State Bar of California 2005 – Present
State Bar of New York 2007 – Present
EXPERTISE
Islamic Law
American Muslim Communities
Nonprofit Law
Trusts & Estates
AWARDS
FUTURE 50
50 young interfaith leaders bringing
social change to Southern California
Center for Religion and Civic Culture-
University of Southern California
2014-2015 – Los Angeles, CA
SUPER LAWYERS
Rising star in non-profit law
Super Lawyers – Southern California
2013, 2017- 2019
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Madinah Community Center
2007 – Arcadia, CA
INTERESTS
Civic Service
Interfaith Social Activism
Community Service
Photography
Nonprofit Organization
Comparative Jurisprudence
Outdoors
EDUCATION
MASTER OF ARTS, ISLAMIC STUDIES & LEADERSHIP
Claremont School of Theology/Bayan Claremont. 2018
M.A. Thesis: « Custody and Guardianship of Orphans Under
Contemporary Interpretations of Islamic Law. »
JURIS DOCTOR CUM LAUDE
George Washington University Law School 2005
Coursework in Islamic Law, Immigration Law I & II, International
Business Transactions, Trusts and Estates.
BACHELOR OF ARTS, RELIGIOUS STUDIES CUM LAUDE
University of California, Santa Barbara 2000
Thesis on the historical collection of the Qur’an based on hadith
literature, archeological and textual evidence.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
PRINCIPAL ATTORNEY
Gallinger Law – Long Beach, CA | 2005 to 2011, 2015 – Present
- Focus on serving nonprofit organizations and public interest work
- Specialize in family and business immigration
- Pro-bono representation for asylees and human trafficking victims
- Litigated immigration and naturalization delays in every district court in
California, including class-action lawsuits co-counseling with the ACLU
and Asian Law Caucus - Represented nonprofits through initial formation and charitable
approval. Provided counsel on board management, political
involvement, employee relations and ongoing regulatory compliance
DIRECTOR OF CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) – Washington, DC |
2012 – 2015
- Senior management position with largest American Muslim civil
rights and advocacy organization. Reported directly to National
Executive Director - Responsible for managing development and advising operations for CAIR’s 29 local affiliates
- Primary trainer of over 200 staff and board members.
- Established and administered online document and resource sharing system
- Created, with expert input, first organization-wide policies covering all substantive areas of operations and programming.
- Drafted operative legal documents governing relationships with
affiliates and vendors - Developed toolkits and guides covering human resources, board
governance, staff and board recruitment, financial controls, political advocacy, government relations, and volunteer management
OF COUNSEL/LAW CLERK
Martin McMahon & Associates – Washington, DC | 2002 – 2007
- Drafted briefs for federal national security litigation in both civil and criminal matters
- Managed complex, multi-district litigation for an array of foreign clients in finance and charities
- Consulted with clients on investor immigration and immigration penalties for criminal convictions
Volunteer Experience
BOARD MEMBER
Muslim ARC (Anti-Racism Collaborative) | 2017 – 2018
- Organized day-long SoCal Muslim anti-racism training
- Speaker for anti-racism workshops
- Provide expert counsel on volunteer recruitment, management, and fundraising
INSTRUCTOR
Muslim Youth Camp of California | 2012 – 2017
- Instructor for adult and young adult campers
- Taught courses on faith and ethics
- Facilitated discussion groups on Islamic law and theology and their roles in the lives of contemporary American Muslims
BOARD MEMBER
Progressive Interfaith Alliance of Orange County | 2016 – 2017
- Founding board member of organization in 2006
- Rejoined the board after returning to private practice in California
Volunteer Experience (continued)
BOARD MEMBER
Muslim Bar Association of Southern California | 2015 – 2017
- Founding board member of organization in 2006
- Rejoined the board after returning to private practice in California
RADIO HOST
“Consensus” – One Legacy Radio| 2010 – 2011
- Hosted online radio show and podcast covering national and international politics aimed at educating the general public and encouraging activism
PRESIDENT
CAIR-CA PAC | 2010 – 2012
- Largest political action committee representing the interests of
American Muslims - Led board meetings
- Organized candidate events
- Oversaw publication of “American Muslim Voter Guides” for eleven California counties during the 2010 elections
LEGAL COLUMNIST
InFocus Newspaper | 2006 – 2010
- Wrote a monthly column on legal matters for the largest regularly
published newspaper American Muslims in California
Presentations - Partial
“HOW LEGAL CONFLICT CAN CHOKE MONEY FLOW”
Wei Houng and The 6 Figure Academy – Podcast| December 2017
“TACO TRUCKS AT EVERY MOSQUE”
Community organized – Interfaith gathering| June 2017
“INSTITUTIONALIZING ISLAMOPHOBIA: CRITIQUING THE CVE
FRAMEWORK”
UC Berkeley – Conference | December 2016
“IMAGINING ISLAM: FIRST AMENDMENT, STATE POWER AND
COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM”
Claremont Graduate University – Religions in Conversation
Conference | February 2015
“WHEN IS MARRIAGE A CRIME? CIVIL MARRIAGE,
POLYGAMY, AND THE PRACTICE OF ISLAMIC LEGAL NORMS
BY AMERICAN MUSLIMS”
Islamic Institute of Orange County – Public Debate | December 2014
“LEARNING ABOUT ISLAM AND THE ARAB WORLD”
For K-12 educators – Workshop| October 2017
“STRATEGIES FOR POST ELECTION CHALLENGES”
Medina Islamic Center – Conference | December 2016
“NSA SURVEILLANCE PANEL”
Western State College of Law- National Security Symposium | April 2015
“SOCIAL MEDIA USE BY RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS”
Parliament of World Religions – Religions in Conversation
Conference | February 2015