About Ellen Clark Clemot

Rev. Dr. Ellen Clark Clemot is an avid writer and public speaker. Her recent book, “Discerning Welcome,” addresses the immigration crisis in America and is meant to help congregations decide why and how to welcome the refugee, legally and ethically, into their neighborhoods, especially the undocumented refugee already resident there. In addition, she has published several articles on topics of faith formation and personal transformation in Christian Century and Faith and Leadership magazines. Ellen also teaches, as the polity professor at Princeton Theological Seminary. She maintains a New York law practice with a focus on helping churches develop affordable housing to provide new immigrant families and others fair and affordable places to live. Through teaching, preaching, and practice, Ellen Clemot offers practical advice for audiences of all faiths to promote peaceful, hope-filled communities.

Ellen earned her Doctor of Ministry degree from Duke University and Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. She is a graduate of New York University School of Law (JD) and Brown University (AB), where she majored in Religious Studies and Creative Writing.   Prior to entering the ministry, Ellen practiced law with Cravath Swaine & Moore and later at Clifford Chance in offices located in New York, London, and Paris.  She took a 15 year hiatus from law practice while she attended Princeton seminary and then served in the New York City Tri-State area as Senior Pastor in larger Presbyterian churches. Recently, Ellen combined her law and ministry practice to provide affordable housing for migrant families in New York. Ellen preaches, teaches, and writes on topics of faith, ethics, and immigration justice from the perspective of the Presbyterian Church (USA), a Reformed church, ever reforming.