We are honored to represent five of the nation’s most distinguished First Amendment scholars—Michael McConnell, Douglas Laycock, Helen Alvaré, Carl Esbeck, and Richard Garnett—in filing an amicus brief in a major religious liberty case before the Washington Court of Appeals.
At issue is the Washington Attorney General’s attempt to investigate the Archdiocese of Seattle by invoking the state’s Charitable Trust Act—even though the Act explicitly exempts religious organizations and the Archdiocese has had no substantiated abuse claim in over 25 years.
Our amicus brief, authored by First & Fourteenth partner Martin Nussbaum, argues that disregarding the law’s religious exemption would violate six distinct First Amendment protections.
This case presents a significant test of constitutional limits on state power—and the enduring strength of the First Amendment’s religious clause.
Read More: Brief of First Amendment Scholars as Amici Curiae in Support of Respondent