Nonprofit Organization and Operations
Religious organizations are unique in their mission and structure, requiring tailored legal advice to navigate their formation and operation. We offer comprehensive legal services customized to the needs of nonprofit organizations and ministries. With our expertise, we help you build a solid legal foundation that supports your mission and enhances your ability to serve your community.
Employment
We represent employees facing workplace discrimination, from asserting your rights before the EEOC to litigating employment discrimination cases. Our attorneys have experience advising employees seeking religious accommodations and asserting religious discrimination claims against both private and government employers. We also defend religious ministries facing employment discrimination claims, as our attorneys have significant experience advising religious ministries on employment matters and ensuring that they fully utilize the unique legal protections available to them.
First Amendment and Religious Liberty
Our attorneys’ extensive experience in First Amendment and religious liberty litigation includes work on landmark Supreme Court cases as well as cases before state courts and lower federal courts. Whether defending student speech, challenging regulations that burden religious exercise, protecting historic monuments, or navigating constitutional procedural issues, we are dedicated to protecting free speech and religious liberty.
Religious Land Use
Houses of worship and other religious ministries often encounter unique land use challenges. Whether your congregation is facing discriminatory zoning codes or a hostile homeowners’ association, we offer proactive guidance to help you navigate the process of building or expanding facilities, or operating a home church or synagogue. We ensure you assert the full range of federal and state protections available, including those under RLUIPA and the Fair Housing Act, and safeguard your congregation’s rights both before and during litigation if necessary.
Appellate Litigation
We are dedicated to providing persuasive, effective advocacy for our clients. Our attorneys have successfully litigated cases before state supreme courts, federal courts of appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. We also excel at crafting litigation strategies at the trial level to prepare for success during any appeal as well.
Crisis Management
In times of crisis, we offer comprehensive support to help you manage public relations and media engagement. With extensive media training and experience, we excel at telling your story beyond the courtroom to achieve your strategic goals. As a calm and guiding voice, we help you navigate the storm, ensuring your message is clear and impactful.
Healthcare
Spearheaded by a former Senior Advisor for HIPAA at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, our healthcare law practice provides guidance on HIPAA compliance and healthcare privacy issues to support your organization’s healthcare compliance and operational needs. We also advocate for healthcare providers’ rights of conscience, with experience navigating federal and state conscience protections to ensure that healthcare organizations and professionals are able to provide services consistent with their religious, moral, and ethical beliefs.
Intellectual Property
Our intellectual property practice offers services to protect your innovations and brand. Whether you need assistance with registration, enforcement, or litigation, we cover all aspects of intellectual property law to support and defend your creative and technological assets.
Legislative Drafting
Imprecise legislation is a leading cause of litigation. We bring a litigator’s eye to legislative drafting, striving to write statutes that are clear, effective, and accomplish their intended purpose. Inspired by computer programming principles and driven by textualist statutory construction methods, our creative approach endeavors to proactively improve the quality of law.
Education
Our education law practice focuses on key issues such as student speech, equal access, and school choice. From advising schools on developing and implementing effective speech policies to representing students and families facing discrimination in the educational environment, we strive to ensure that students’ rights are protected while maintaining an ordered learning environment.
Constitutional Compliance
Governmental entities often find themselves in trouble when they enact unconstitutional policies that they believe are necessary to avoid litigation, inadvertently creating the very problem they sought to avoid. Our constitutional compliance practice focuses on helping governmental entities avoid these common constitutional pitfalls. With experience advising and litigating both for and against state and local governments, our attorneys provide guidance to ensure compliance with civil rights obligations. Our attorneys have particular experience navigating issues related to the Free Speech, Free Exercise, and Establishment Clauses, including legislative prayer, public monuments and displays, and facilities access and rental policies.
- Incorporation: We assist in the legal formation of your religious organization, guiding you through the process of creating a legally recognized entity. This includes preparing and filing the necessary documents to establish your organization as a corporation under state law and ensuring compliance with all relevant legal requirements.
- Drafting foundational documents: Our team helps you draft essential organizational documents tailored to your religious mission and values, including:
- Bylaws: Detailed rules governing the operation and management of your organization.
- Statements of Faith: Articulating the core beliefs and religious tenets that guide your organization.
- Employee Handbooks: Comprehensive guides outlining policies, procedures, and expectations for staff, ensuring clarity and consistency in operations.
- Applying for nonprofit tax status: We handle the process of applying for nonprofit tax status with the IRS. This includes preparing and submitting the application and any required supporting documentation.
- Developing HR and organizational policies: We develop human resoures and organizational policies that reflect your religious values and legal obligations. These policies cover areas such as hiring practices, employee conduct, disciplinary procedures, and conflict resolution.
- Management training: We offer management training designed to equip your leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to run your organization in accordance with its religious tenets while complying with applicable legal and ethical standards.
- Employment law: We provide experienced guidance on employment law matters, helping you navigate issues related to hiring, firing, employee rights, and workplace discrimination. Our goal is to ensure that your employment practices are fair, legal, and aligned with your religious principles.
- Tax and parsonage exemption issues: We offer advice on tax issues unique to religious organizations, including parsonage exemptions for clergy housing.
- Investigations: Our team conducts thorough and impartial investigations into any internal issues or allegations of misconduct. We ensure that investigations are handled with sensitivity, confidentiality, and a commitment to uncovering the truth while protecting your organization’s integrity.
