First Liberty | Supreme Court
Current U.S. Supreme Court Cases
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Right now, First Liberty is fighting on behalf of Aaron and Melissa Klein, asking the Supreme Court to reverse the State of Oregon’s decision that forced them out of business and penalized them $135,000 for refusing to create a government-approved message. Free speech has always included the freedom NOT to speak the government’s message. What’s more, the Supreme Court has already ruled that government officials cannot be hostile toward the religious beliefs of citizens. |
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Coach Joe Kennedy First Liberty filed a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to defend high school football coach Joe Kennedy after he was fired for kneeling for silent prayer on the field after games. |
Bladensburg WWI Veterans Memorial First Liberty filed a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent the desecration of the Bladensburg WWI Veterans Memorial honoring 49 fallen American heroes. |
Federal Court Cases Approaching the U.S. Supreme Court
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Cambridge Christian School First Liberty defends Cambridge Christian School after government refuses to allow students to pray over loudspeaker at a championship football game. |
Supreme Court Victories & Highlights
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Sause v. Bauer First Liberty won a key fight for religious liberty at the Supreme Court in the case of Mary Anne Sause, who was told by two police officers to stop praying in her own living room. The Supreme Court’s decision is a crucial victory that reaffirmed religious liberty in one of the most sacred and protected spaces – the home. |
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Salazar v. Buono First Liberty successfully defended the Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial at the U.S. Supreme Court. In a landmark 5-4 decision citing First Liberty’s amicus brief a record 12 times, the U.S Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the land transfer of the veteran’s memorial to First Liberty Institute’s client, the Veterans of Foreign Wars. |
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Gonzalez v. O’Centro In the case of Gonzalez v. O’Centro, the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court issued a final opinion by unanimously adopting an argument in an amicus brief filed by First Liberty. The Court ultimately held that under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the federal government could not use international law as a reason to burden free religious expression. The decision set a precedent that prevents government from intruding in the ceremonies of religious minorities. |
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Pleasant Grove City v. Summum First Liberty filed an amicus brief on behalf of The American Legion to make sure that veterans memorials would be protected across the country. First Liberty offered legal expertise and helped prepare the lead counsel for oral arguments before the Supreme Court. As part of our involvement, First Liberty attorneys helped lead counsel argue that cities should have the ability to erect and keep privately donated veteran’s memorials. |
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Obergefell v Hodges In the historic U.S. Supreme Court case, Obergefell v. Hodges, First Liberty Institute filed an amicus brief, arguing that the First Amendment protects ministers, teachers, and speakers who are compelled by faith to preach aloud their religious beliefs on marriage. In the June 2015 decision, the Court opinion stated, “The First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths”. This recognized the central concerns expressed in First Liberty’s amicus brief and addressed the importance of religious freedom protections. |
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Van Orden v. Perry First Liberty was instrumental in helping the Texas Attorney General – now Governor Greg Abbot – prepare for oral arguments. Our legal team also filed an amicus brief at the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the original donors of the Ten Commandments monument outside the Texas Capitol. The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling held that the monument is constitutional, echoing the arguments First Liberty made in its brief. Following the Court’s decision, First Liberty received special thanks from Greg Abbot for our help on the case. |
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Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe In this Supreme Court case, First Liberty’s President and CEO Kelly Shackelford participated as co-counsel alongside renowned attorney Jay Sekulow and also collaborating with several of the nation’s best religious freedom lawyers to draft a petition in defense of prayer at public sports games. |
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Good News Club v. Milford Central School In this Supreme Court case, First Liberty served as a key player by filing an important amicus brief as well by helping to prepare the lead counsel for oral arguments. Ultimately, the Court’s decision in this case protected the rights of religious organizations to use public school facilities after school hours. |
