News

3 First Liberty Cases Approaching the U.S. Supreme Court

by Jorge Gomez  • 5 min read

Will First Liberty argue a U.S. Supreme Court case this term? We could. Three of our cases are closely approaching the nation’s highest court.

Earlier this year, we argued the following cases in federal appeals court, which sit just one level below the Supreme Court. We’re waiting for a ruling in each of these cases. And depending on the result, we could appeal to the nation’s highest court.

Please continue praying for the judges as they write their rulings. A decision could come down at any time:

• Fire Chief Ron Hittle: After serving as a firefighter for over 20 years, our client was wrongfully fired because he went to a leadership conference that was held at a church. We argued on behalf of Chief Hittle back in March.
• Cambridge Christian School: We argued this case back in June. It involves two private Christian schools who were told they could not pray over the loudspeaker before the kickoff at their state championship football game.
• His Tabernacle Church: In March, our attorneys argued on behalf of His Tabernacle Family Church. First Liberty challenged New York’s discriminatory prohibition on firearms at places of worship, while it allows comparable secular organizations to establish their own policies.

If you’ve kept up with First Liberty recently, you know this has been a tremendously blessed season. We’ve had incredible opportunities to fight multiple Supreme Court cases.

Think about this: Some organizations, law firms and attorneys only dream of having one case at the U.S. Supreme Court in their career. We had at least one case at the Supreme Court in each of the last five years! And look at what happened in 2022 and 2023. We were able to take not just one, but two of our cases to the Supreme Court each of those years. Even better? Because of your faithful support, we won them all.

There’s no denying God is at work. And the best part? We don’t think He’s finished yet.

We’re fighting another two huge cases at the appellate court level. Here’s what those are about and where they stand:

• Spivack v. City of Philadelphia: Our client, Rachel Spivack, worked at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, which required vaccinations, but allowed for religious or medical exemptions. She applied for an accommodation because her Orthodox Jewish faith prohibits her from being vaccinated. She included a letter from her rabbi outlining her religious convictions. But the DA denied her request and fired her. Even worse, 10 other employees were allowed to keep working without being vaccinated. This discrimination and unfair treatment are illegal. We’ll argue this case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on November 29.
• Potter v. District of Columbia: This case is pending at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, often called the nation’s “second highest” court after the Supreme Court. We represent DC firefighters and paramedics who wear a beard in accordance with their Muslim or Jewish faith. They were wrongly removed from field duty in 2020. At the start of the pandemic, their departments reinstituted a policy banning most types of facial hair. Their employer took action against them, even though a federal court previously ruled that it could not impose a shaving requirement on those who wear a beard for religious purposes. We’ll be filing briefs in this case soon.

We clearly have many more opportunities sitting right in front of us. But to make the most of them, we need to remain faithful, working harder and more intently that ever before.

As we enter the final two months of the year, we really need your continued support.

First, please continue praying. Every member of our team needs all the spiritual support you can provide. We really appreciate all the encouragement and strength your prayers bring us.

We also ask that you give generously so that we can keep fighting these very expensive and lengthy cases. Remember, none of our clients ever see a legal bill. And that’s only possible thanks to YOU.

Please give to First Liberty today. Your support makes an enormous difference.