New York Times: Christian Legal Alliance Gains Ground
- Carrie Dedrick
- Updated May 12, 2014
![New York Times: Christian Legal Alliance Gains Ground](https://i.swncdn.com/media/700w/crosswalk/resource/areas/crosswalk/resources/images/defaultimages/article-large-landscape.png)
Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has been gaining attention recently for defending the views of conservative Christians, including the recent case involving Christian prayer at government meetings.
Alliance Defending Freedom has a $40 million yearly endowment with more than 40 lawyers on its payroll. The group represents hundreds of cases annually, pro bono.
The group won the New York case to permit prayer at government meetings; they now look to another landmark case as Conestoga Wood Specialties (that ADF’s client) and Hobby Lobby challenge the the Affordable Care Act’s demand for employers to supply abortion-inducing birth control, such as the morning after pill, to employees.
Another case that the ADF is backing is the defense of marriage restrictions in Virginia. The fight is currently underway in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Court Circuit in Richmond, Va. reports The New York Times.
ADF lawyers are beginning to gain ground in what was previously a largely secular-dominated court system by using the Constitution to defend religious ideals.
University of Virginia Law School law and religion expert Douglas Laycock said, “A.D.F. and other groups wanted to counter more liberal forces, and that have largely achieved that goal. On the whole, they work at pretty high levels, and they’ve got a lot of boots on the ground.”