Supreme Court Again Rules that Safety and Health Regulations Override Religious Freedom Majority of Supreme Court says safety and health regulations override religious freedom concerns during a public health crisis. Richard R. Hammar
Supreme Court Endorses Some Aid to Parents of Religious School Students Parents of religious school students may receive state aid, Supreme Court says. Richard R. Hammar
Supreme Court Rules that Title VII’s Ban on “Sex” Discrimination Includes Sexual Orientation Why the Supreme Court's Title VII decision changes the definition of "sex" discrimination--and how it affects churches. Richard R. Hammar
Advantage Member Exclusive A 50-State Survey on Religious Freedom Laws A 50-state survey on key federal and state laws and court decisions affecting churches and religious freedom. Matthew Branaugh
What an Early COVID-19 Supreme Court Decision Meant for Church Gatherings A Court decision early in the COVID-19 pandemic rejected a California church’s request to restore in-person gatherings sooner than the state allowed. Richard R. Hammar
Checklist: Do We Understand the Effects of Our Church’s Political Activity? Use this checklist to understand the potential effects of your church's political activity.
Tracking Faith-Based Legal Challenges to Pandemic Orders How federal courts nationwide addressed faith-based legal challenges to pandemic orders set by state and local governments. J. Matthew Szymanski
Attorney General: Religious Exercise Should Not Be Significantly Burdened The Attorney General's statement emphasized religious exercise should be not significantly burdened by pandemic mandates. Matthew Branaugh
SBA: Religious Liberty Protections Will be Provided with Loan Program SBA says religious liberty protections will be maintained with loan program for small employers affected by pandemic. The Editors
Three Steps to Determine If Government Actions Affect Public Gatherings These three steps can help churches determine if local government actions affect their gatherings. David Middlebrook
Legal Considerations for Coronavirus Guidance and Church Gatherings Government actions that impact constitutional interests must follow certain rules. Theresa Sidebotham and Nicole Hunt
Public Accommodations Laws Understand how discrimination laws affect which outside groups can use church facilities. Richard R. Hammar
“Parking Lot Tax” Officially Repealed A controversial 2017 provision affecting churches nixed through spending packages signed in late 2019. Elaine Sommerville, Frank Sommerville, and the Editors
Will Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination Become Illegal? High court’s decision could have implications for the hiring and firing practices of churches. Matthew Branaugh
Advantage Member Exclusive Does Title VII Apply to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity? Supreme Court ruling in 2020 could have implications for a church’s hiring and firing decisions. Matthew Branaugh
Three Reasons Christians Should Defend Religious Liberty for All Preserving rights for other faiths enhances our own witness—and is the right thing to do. Luke Goodrich
Supreme Court: Commemorative Cross on Public Land Did Not Offend the Constitution Bladensburg Cross may remain, both for its religious and secular purposes, majority says. Richard R. Hammar
Could Your Church Face an ADA Noncompliance Lawsuit for Its Website or App? What to know about this rising trend in litigation. Nick Nicholaou
Supreme Court Public Benefit Programs Available to Churches Excluding church from playground funding solely based on its religion violates First Amendment, Court says. Richard R. Hammar
Is Your Church Breaking Public Accommodations Laws? To answer this question, churches must be well-versed in federal, state, and local laws. Richard R. Hammar