In the Courts - Christian Legal Society

Current Cases

St. Herman’s Table, et al., v. City of Phoenix

Volunteers from St. Herman’s Table’s, an Orthodox Christian group, visit Cave Creek Park at Cactus in Phoenix, Arizona, every Thursday, where they fulfill their religious calling of almsgiving by handing out meals…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise
Court: U.S. District Court of Arizona
Case Status: Pending
Center's Role: Counsel

E.D. v. Noblesville School District

E.D., a student at Noblesville High School in Indiana, wanted to start a pro-life club at her school called Noblesville Students for Life, a chapter of Students for Life of America. She followed…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise, Free Speech
Court: U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status: Cert. denied
Center's Role: Amicus

Olivier v. City of Brandon, Mississippi

Gabriel Olivier is a Christian street preacher who believes that sharing his religious views with others is a fundamental aspect of his religion. He often stations himself outside event venues to speak…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise, Free Speech
Court: U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status: Success
Center's Role: Amicus

Chiles v. Salazar

Faith-based counselors nationwide help youth experiencing gender dysphoria by talking with children to address the underlying causes of their discomfort, alleviating their distress, and, if possible, helping them to accept their bodies…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise, Free Speech
Court: U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status: Success
Center's Role: Amicus

First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin

Pro-life pregnancy centers exist to help women (and men) facing unplanned pregnancies. Rather than encourage them to abort their children, these centers offer alternatives that preserve the lives of both mothers and…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise, Free Speech, Life
Court: U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status: Cert. granted
Center's Role: Amicus

Fellowship of Christian Athletes v. District of Columbia, et al.

In 2022, after a brief pause during COVID, FCA returned to campus at Jackson-Reed High School in D.C. Two weeks later, a part-time freshman baseball coach told local FCA staff that, because of…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise, Free Speech
Court: USDC District of Columbia
Case Status: Pending
Center's Role: Amicus

Mahmoud v. Taylor

In fall 2022, the Montgomery County Board of Education (“Board”) announced over 20 new “inclusivity” books—books that champion pride parades, gender transitioning, and pronoun preferences for children—for its pre-K through eighth grade…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise, Public Education
Court: U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status: Success
Center's Role: Amicus

Bethany Christian Services v. Corbin

For the first time since Bethany Christian Services began serving refugees in 1962 and became a contractor of the state of Michigan in 1981, the organization was denied refugee-resettlement services contracts because…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise, Free Speech, Hiring Rights
Court: Western District of Michigan
Case Status: Pending
Center's Role: Counsel

Gateway Pregnancy Centers

Gateway is a small, religious nonprofit that seeks to show the love of Christ to women and men that find themselves in a pregnancy situation. It seeks to provide tangible support and…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise, Life
Court: N/A
Case Status: Pending
Center's Role: Counsel

Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections & Public Safety

Congress has enacted two “sister” statutes to protect religious exercise: the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act…

Legal Issue(s): Free Religious Exercise
Court: U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status: Cert. granted
Center's Role: Amicus