The National Association of Evangelicals files amicus (or friend-of-the-court) briefs to help courts consider how their decisions may affect individuals and institutions beyond the particular parties to the cases. We also suggest legal principles and precedents that we think should guide the court. Many cases that the NAE engages are related to religious freedom and the sanctity of human life.
We frequently file briefs with other groups to demonstrate broad support for our argument. Amicus briefs are typically designed to emphasize a legal perspective that if it prevails will have positive implications for other cases. They don’t summarize everything that the NAE believes about a particular subject matter. To better understand the impact of amicus briefs, read this article by Kim Colby of the Christian Legal Society. Below you’ll find a list of some of the amicus briefs filed by the NAE.
2024
February 27, 2024 | U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine | protect women from dangerous abortion drugs
2023
January 13, 2023 | State of Tennessee and Association of Christian Schools International v. U.S. Department of Education | protect schools from nondiscrimination rules not authorized by statute or court action
February 28, 2023 | Gerald Groff v. Louis DeJoy | workplace religious accommodation
March 10, 2023 | Faith Bible Chapel International v. Gregory Tucker | right of religious organizations to choose their ministers
April 3, 2023 | Bradley Hester v. Matthew Gentry | reforming the inappropriate use of pre-trial detention
May 2, 2023 | B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education | Title IX does not cover discrimination based on gender identity
June 21, 2023 | Catholic Charities Bureau, et al. v. State of Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission, et al. | determination of whether an organization is religious
August 7, 2023 | Janay E. Garrick, et. al. v. Moody Bible Institute, et. al. | church autonomy doctrine
December 7, 2023 | William McRaney v. The North American Mission Board | church autonomy doctrine
2022
January 14, 2022 | Lynn Starkey v. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Inc., and Roncalli High School, Inc. | right of religious schools to choose their ministers
May 31, 2022 | 303 Creative LLC, et al., v. Aubrey Elenis, et al. | religious accommodations for small business owners
July 15, 2022 | Harold Shurtleff, et al., v. City of Boston, et al. | private display of religious symbols on government property
September 14, 2022 | Young Israel of Tampa, Inc. v. Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority | free speech in the public square
2021
March 11, 2021 | David and Amy Carson, et al. v. A. Pender Makin | equal treatment of religious and secular organizations
March 18, 2021 | The North American Mission Board of The Southern Baptist Convention, Inc. v. Will McRaney | avoiding government entanglement in internal affairs of religious groups
May 13, 2021 | Leslie Rutledge, et al. v. Little Rock Family Planning Services, et al. | disability rights and abortion nondiscrimination
May 25, 2021 | Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Walmart Stores East, L.P. et al. | workplace religious accommodation
July 17, 2021 | Jason Small v. Memphis Light, Gas, & Water | workplace religious accommodation
July 28, 2021 | Thomas E. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization | the right of states to regulate abortion and protect the unborn
September 27, 2021 | John Ramirez v. Bryan Collier | the right of prisoners to receive prayer & laying on of hands prior to execution
October 21, 2021 | Kennedy v. Bremerton School District | free speech and free exercise rights of public school employees
2020
February 10, 2020 | Our Lady of Guadalupe v. Morrisey-Berru | right of religious organizations to choose their ministers
March 2020 | Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, et al., | Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, et al. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, et al. | avoiding government entanglement in religious doctrinal disputes
June 1, 2020 | Sharonell Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | equal government accommodation of religious and secular organizations
August 6, 2020 | Mitche A. Dalberiste v. Gle Associates, Inc. | workplace religious accommodation
September 29, 2020 | Chike Uzuegbunam, et al. v.. Stanley C. Preczewski, et al. | free speech rights of students at public universities
November 30, 2020 | Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church v. Pritzker | equal treatment of religious and secular organizations in public health regulations
December 10, 2020 | Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Sisolak | equal treatment of religious and secular organizations in public health regulations
2019
June 21, 2019 | Archdiocese of Washington v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, et al. | protecting freedom of speech
August 2019 | Gerald Lynn Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia | Altitude Express, Inc., et al. v. Melissa Zarda, et al. | R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, et al. | interpretation of “sex” in civil rights employment law
September 18, 2019 | Kendra Espinoza, et al. v. Montana Department of Revenue, et al. | equal treatment of religious and secular organizations in government funded programs
December 30, 2019 | June Medical Services v. Rebekah Gee, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals | health and safety regulation of abortion providers
2018
Kennedy v. Bremerton School District | free speech and free exercise rights of public school employees
November 13, 2018 | Aloha Bed & Breakfast v. Cervelli | religious accommodations for small business owners
November 15, 2018 | Commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky | state regulation of abortions that discriminate based on gender, race or disability
January 16, 2018 | National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra | government compelled pro-abortion speech at crisis pregnancy centers
February 23, 2018 | Trump v. State of Hawaii | clarify proper application of the Establishment Clause
November 26, 2018 | Melissa Elaine Klein and Aaron Wayne Klein v. Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries | protecting free speech and free exercise of religion
2017
January 10, 2017 | Gloucester County School Board v. G.G and Deirdre Grimm | the Department of Education’s authority to reinterpret “sex” in federal law
January 24, 2017 | Advocate Health Care Network v. Stapleton | distinguish permissible religious exemptions from impermissible religious preferences by government
September 7, 2017 | Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission | religious accommodations for small business owners
2016
February 3, 2016 | Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt | state regulation of abortion providers
April 21, 2016 | Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Pauley | equal treatment of religious and secular organizations in government funding
May 11, 2016 | The Islamic Society of Basking Ridge and Mohammad Ali Chaudry v. Township of Bernards | equal treatment of religious and secular organizations in zoning regulations
January 11, 2016 | Most Reverend David A. Zubik, et al v. Sylvia Burwell, et al. | rights of religious organizations under law when third parties allege harm
2014
January 27, 2014 | Kathleen Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. | Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Kathleen Sebelius | rights of religious owners of closely held for-profit organizations under law
March 3, 2014 | Susan B Anthony List v. Driehaus | freedom of speech
March 6, 2014 | Priests For Life v. United States Department of Health And Human Services, Roman Catholic Archbishop v. Kathleen Sebelius | rights of religious organizations under law when third parties allege harm
April 9, 2014 | Freedom from Religion Foundation v. Lew | ministerial housing allowance
May 1, 2014 | Child Evangelism Fellowship v. Cleveland | equal access to public facilities that are made available to community groups
May 29, 2014 | Holt v. Hobbs | religious accommodation for prisoners
August 1, 2014 | Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. v. Burwell | rights of religious organizations under law when third parties allege harm
August 1, 2014 | Geneva v. Burwell | rights of religious organizations under law when third parties allege harm
October 27, 2014 | Bronx Household of Faith v. Board of Education of the City of New York | equal treatment of churches that rent public school space for worship services
December 30, 2014 | Hart v. State of North Carolina, Cynthia Perry, Gennell Curry, Thom Tillis, Phil Berger | equal treatment of religious and secular schools in government funded scholarship programs
2013
January 29, 2013 | United States v. Windsor | federal definition of marriage
February 26, 2013 | William Grote, III V. Kathleen Sebelius | rights of religious organizations under law when third parties allege harm
April 5, 2013 | Bill Duncan, Thomas Chase, Rebecca Emerson-Brown, The Rev. Homer Goddard, Rabbi Joshua Segal, The Rev. Richard Stuart, and Ruth Stuart v. State of New Hampshire | equal treatment of religious and secular schools in government funded scholarship programs
May 7, 2013 | Gilardi v. US Department of Health and Human Services | rights of religious organizations under law when third parties allege harm
September 16, 2013 | McCullen v. Coakley | freedom of speech in abortion clinic sidewalk counseling
December 11, 2013 | EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch | workplace religious accommodation
2012
January 17, 2012 | Alpha Delta Chi v. Reed | equal treatment of religious and secular student groups on public universities campuses
June 28, 2012 | Moss v. Spartanburg County School District | religious freedom for public school students
August 8, 2012 | Rich v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections | religious accommodations for prisoners
September 28, 2012 | O’Brien v. Department of Health and Human Services | rights of religious organizations under law when third parties allege harm
October 10, 2012 | Bronx Household of Faith v. Board of Education of the City of New York | challenging a ban on worship services by organizations renting school facilities for public meetings
October 12, 2012 | Wheaton College and Belmont Abbey College v. Sebelius | rights of religious organizations under law when third parties allege harm
November 21, 2012 | Stormans v. Selecky | conscience protection for pharmacists
2011
January 27, 2011 | Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. United States Department of Health and Human Services | rights of religious organizations under law when third parties allege harm
April 15, 2011 | Rasor Elementary School Students v. Lynn Swanson, Jackie Bomchill | religious freedom for public school students
April 18, 2011 | Willis v. Indiana Department of Corrections | religious accommodation for prisoners
October 27, 2011 | Bronx Household of Faith v. Board of Education of the City of New York | equal treatment of churches that rent public school space for worship services
2010
February 19, 2010 | Christian Legal Society v. Martinez | equal treatment for religious and secular student organizations at public universities
March 2010 | Sossamon v. Texas | religious accommodation for prisoners
April 28, 2010 | Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School | right of religious organizations to choose their ministers
May 3, 2010 | Salazar v. Buono | religious symbols on former public lands
August 6, 2010 | Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Kathleen M. Winn | equal treatment of religious and secular schools in state scholarship programs
August 19, 2010 | Morgan v. Plano Independent School District | religious freedom for students at public schools
September 21, 2010 | Lori Kennedy v. Villa St. Catherine, Inc. | employment rights of religious organizations
September 24, 2010 | Hollingsworth v. Perry | definition of marriage in California
September 24, 2010 | Schwarzenegger v. Plata | medical care for prisoners
October 10, 2012 | Bronx Household of Faith v. Board of Education of the City of New York | equal treatment of religious and secular organizations seeking to rent space in public schools during off hours
2009
June 8, 2009 | Christian Legal Society Chapter of University of California, Hastings College of The Law v. Nell Newton, et al. | equal treatment of religious and secular student groups on public university campuses
November 5, 2009 | Paul T. Palmer v. Waxahachie Independent School | free speech for public school students
2008
November 24, 2008 | Sylvia Spencer, Vicki Hulse, and Ted Youngberg v. World Vision, Inc. | hiring rights for religious organizations
2007
Faith Center Church Evangelistic Ministries v. Glover | equal access by religious groups to community meetings rooms at a public library
2006
Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.
Gonzales v. Carhart
2005
Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
Gonzales v. O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao Do
Vegetal et al.
Gonzales v. Oregon
2001
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, et al.
1999
Troxel v. Granville
1997
Agostini v. Felton
1996
Camps Newfound/Owatonna v. Town of Harrison*
Vacco v. Quill*
State of Washington v. Glucksberg*
1995
Romer v. Evans*
1992
Church of Lukumi Bablu Aye, Inc. v. Pichardo v. City of Hialeah*
1991
International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc. v. Lee*
1989
The Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools et al. v. Mergens*
Webster v. Reproductive Health Services*
1988
Frazee v. Department of Employment Security*
United States Catholic Conference and National Conference of Catholic Bishops v. Abortion Rights Mobilization*
1987
Bemis Pentecostal Church v. State of Tennessee*
1986
Board of Airport Commissioners of the City of Los Angeles v. Jews for Jesus Inc.*
Edwards v. Aguillard*
1985
Bender v. Williamsport Area School District*
Witters v. State of Washington Commission for the Blind*
1984
Wallace v. Jaffree*
1981
Widmar v. Vincent*