Seismic Shifts: SCOTUS, Religion & States and Local Governments
In the past few years, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued several significant decisions regarding its legal doctrines involving religion. Most notably, local governments lost two cases last term for applying incorrect legal tests! Last term SCOTUS embraced a narrow view of the Establishment Clause in a tuition assistance case and a public forum case and overturned Lemon in a public employment case. Recently, SCOTUS has embraced a broad view of the Free Exercise Clause in a series of COVID cases and a case involving the City of Philadelphia. And it may continue this trend in the upcoming term in a case involving a web designer who objects on religious grounds to making custom wedding websites for same-sex couples. The presentation will discuss these cases, trends, and practical guidance on SCOTUS and religion.
Speaker: Lisa Soronen, Erin Murphy & Joshua Matz