About Amy
Amy Hereford practices at the intersection of civil law and ecclesiastical law. She brings years of formal study and courtroom experience to matters that touch on both secular courts and church governance. Colleagues describe her work as methodical and exacting; she approaches each file with attention to detail.
She earned her J.D. from Boston University in 1991. Later she pursued advanced studies in canon law at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, where she completed a JCD/PhD in Canon Law in 2014. That combination of American legal training and an earned doctorate in canon law informs how she advises clients and frames legal questions that involve religious institutions.
Her admissions include the bars of Missouri and Massachusetts, and she is admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court. Those credentials have allowed her to move between state courts, federal tax proceedings and church tribunals. Early in her career she handled conventional civil litigation and tax matters. Over time her caseload shifted toward disputes and regulatory issues involving religious organizations, clergy, and nonprofit entities.
The canon law degree is more than academic for Hereford. It serves as a working credential that permits her to interpret ecclesiastical norms alongside civil statutes. She has experience advising on governance documents, internal church processes, and compliance questions that arise when religious institutions interact with government agencies. She also assists in matters where tax law and church rules converge, drawing on her admissions to federal tax proceedings.
Her practice style is deliberate. She prepares written opinions and counsel for boards, clergy and lay leaders. She drafts and reviews bylaws, bylaws amendments and related governance instruments. She also consults on dispute resolution mechanisms inside religious bodies. When matters proceed to external forums, she represents clients in filings and hearings that require careful translation between canonistic concepts and civil law doctrines.
Hereford operates from an office titled Religious Law and Consultation. In 2026 she continues to advise religious organizations, clergy and nonprofit boards on governance, canonical questions and tax-related issues. Her current practice focuses on religious law and consultation.
