American Center for Law and Justice
Encyclopedia
The American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) is a conservative Christian, pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...

 group that was founded in 1990 by evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...

 Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....

.

History

It was conceived as a counterweight to the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...

, an organization which Robertson maintains is "hostile to traditional American values."
It has attracted much media attention for its lawsuits, such as its campaign to oppose changes to the constitution of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 that would permit abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...

 and Islamic law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...

,
and its attempts to block the construction of an Islamic cultural center near the former site of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...

.

The ACLJ supported blocking the construction of the center through New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, though the ACLJ in the past has opposed efforts (or what it perceived as efforts) to block churches in the same way.

In November 2010, the ACLJ asked that the U.S. Justice Department investigate the Congressional Muslim Staffer Association
Congressional Muslim Staffer Association
The Congressional Muslim Staffer Association seeks to be the premier Federal employee association within the United States Congress representing Muslim-American interests and concerns.-Membership:...

's weekly prayer session on Capitol Hill and halt "what appears to be a pattern of inviting Islamic extremists with ties to terrorism to participate in these events". Jay Sekulow, its chief counsel, said: "It is unbelievable that the very terrorists who want to destroy America are permitted to meet in a congressionally sanctioned setting on Capitol Hill. This raises a host of significant questions – including concerns about national security.

Court cases

In his position as current Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, Jay Alan Sekulow
Jay Alan Sekulow
Jay Alan Sekulow is an American attorney and radio talkshow host.-Education:Sekulow graduated cum laude from Mercer University, receiving both a bachelor's degree and a doctor of jurisprudence while serving as an editorial staff member of the Mercer Law Review. He also received a Ph.D...

, a Messianic Jew, has argued numerous cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. The following are some of the cases Sekulow and the Center have argued before the Supreme Court:
  • Locke v. Davey
    Locke v. Davey
    Locke v. Davey, , is a United States Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of a Washington publicly funded scholarship program which excluded students pursuing a "degree in theology." This case examined the "room....

    , (2003). Sekulow served as lead counsel and presented oral arguments in a case involving the free exercise rights of a college student who was denied a state scholarship because he declared his major to be pastoral studies. The Court held that the U.S. Constitution did not prohibit Washington's policy of denying state scholarship funds to religious studies students. However, it based its holding largely on provisions of the Washington state constitution, and did not directly address the issue of whether the U.S. Constitution prohibited states from providing such support.

  • McConnell v. FEC (Campaign finance reform
    Campaign finance reform
    Campaign finance reform is the common term for the political effort in the United States to change the involvement of money in politics, primarily in political campaigns....

    ), (2003). Sekulow served as lead counsel and presented oral arguments on behalf of a group of minors who were prohibited from contributing to political campaigns. The Court unanimously held that minors cannot be prohibited from participating in political campaigns. The Court held that "minors enjoy the protection of the First Amendment."

  • Operation Rescue v. National Organization for Women, 537 U.S. 808, 123 S. Ct. 58 (2002). Sekulow served as counsel of record for Operation Rescue. The Court concluded that pro-life demonstrators were not racketeers engaged in extortion and that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
    Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
    The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization...

     (RICO)—a federal statute targeting drug dealers and organized crime—could not be used against them.

  • Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, 530 U.S. 290, 120 S. Ct. 2266 (2000). Sekulow served as lead counsel and presented oral arguments on behalf of student-led prayer at high school sporting events. The court ruled that such prayer was unconstitutional.

  • Hill v. Colorado, 530 U.S. 703, 120 S. Ct. 2480 (2000). Sekulow served as lead counsel and presented oral arguments in a case that centered on a Colorado law that restricted free speech activity outside abortion clinics. The Court held that such restrictions were constitutional.

  • Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network of Western New York
    Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network of Western New York
    Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network of Western New York, 519 U.S. 357 , was a case heard before the United States Supreme Court. It ruled in an 8-1 decision that speech-free "buffer zones" around abortion clinics were constitutional...

    , 519 U.S. 357, 117 S. Ct. 855 (1997). Sekulow served as lead counsel and presented oral arguments in a case that focused on the constitutionality of speech-free "buffer zones" around abortion clinics. The Court held that "fixed buffer zones" were constitutional, but "floating buffer zones" were not.

  • Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District
    Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District
    Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District, , was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States concerning whether Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment was offended by a school district that refused to allow a church access to school premises to show films dealing with...

    , 508 U.S. 384, 113 S. Ct. 2141 (1993). Sekulow served as lead counsel and presented oral arguments in a case involving the equal treatment of religious organizations and their use of public school facilities after-hours. The Court held unanimously to reject the school district's decision to refuse to allow school property to be used for religious activities. (In this case, both ACLJ and ACLU were on the same side of the issue.)

  • Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic
    Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic
    Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic, was a United States abortion rights case , which affirmed that Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 could not be used to halt blockades of abortion clinics.-See also:...

    , 506 U.S. 263, 113 S. Ct. 753 (1993). Sekulow served as lead counsel and presented oral arguments in a case determining whether pro-life demonstrations could be regulated by the application of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871
    Civil Rights Act of 1871
    The Civil Rights Act of 1871, , enacted April 20, 1871, is a federal law in force in the United States. The Act was originally enacted a few years after the American Civil War, along with the 1870 Force Act. One of the chief reasons for its passage was to protect southern blacks from the Ku Klux...

    . The Court held that in this case, the act could not be applied.

  • ISKCON and Brian Rumbaugh v. Walter Lee and The New York Port Authority, 505 U.S. 672, 112 S. Ct. 2711 (1992). Sekulow served as co-counsel in favor of distributing literature at airport terminals. The Court held that the airport's ban was reasonable.

  • United States v. Kokinda, 497 U.S. 720, 110 S. Ct. 3115 (1990). Sekulow served as lead counsel and presented oral arguments against the prohibition of literature distribution and fund solicitation at post offices. The prohibition was upheld by the Court.

  • Board of Education of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens, 496 U.S. 226, 110 S. Ct. 2356 (1990). Sekulow served as lead counsel and presented the oral arguments in favor of the Equal Access Act
    Equal Access Act
    The Equal Access Act is a United States federal law passed in 1984 to compel federally-funded secondary schools to provide equal access to extracurricular clubs...

     and the formation of Bible and prayer clubs on public school campuses. The Act was upheld by the Court and the Bible club was formed.

  • Board of Airport Commissioners v. Jews for Jesus, 482 U.S. 569, 107 S. Ct. 2568 (1987). Sekulow served as lead counsel and presented oral arguments in favor of the distribution of religious literature at airport terminals. The Court agreed with Sekulow and held that the airport's prohibition violated the First Amendment.

  • ACLJ and ACLU jointly submitted an amicus curiae
    Amicus curiae
    An amicus curiae is someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information to assist a court in deciding a matter before it...

     for a 2006 Texas case of Pastor Rick Barr and Philemon Homes vs. the city of Sinton.

Europe

In 1997 Jay Alan Sekulow and Thomas Patrick Monaghan, Chief Counsel and Senior Counsel of the ACLJ, set up the European Center for Law and Justice (ECLJ) in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...

 as part of the ACLJ's international strategy. As well as serving as Chief Counsel to the ACLJ, Sekulow serves the same function in ECLJ. The following year the ACLJ set up the Slavic Center for Law and Justice (SCLJ) in Moscow. Both organizations on the European mainland have a full time staff of religious rights attorneys. The ECLJ is active in the United Nations Organization and in the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...

, and represents the interests of certain Christians in the Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...

 in Strasbourg.

Involvement in non-First Amendment cases

When the ACLJ was granted nonprofit status by the IRS in 1994, it was restricted to taking part in cases involving the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...

. However, it has recently taken an active role in opposing President Obama's health-care reform, and its briefs contain no First Amendment arguments. It has also filed lawsuits against Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The...

 of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, and its briefs in that case contain no First Amendment arguments. While the ACLJ's tax lawyer says that both cases involve First Amendment issues, the head of the ACLJ's office in Brentwood, Tennessee
Brentwood, Tennessee
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,445 people, 7,693 households, and 6,808 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,889 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.63% European American, 1.89% African American,...

says the Planned Parenthood case is a whistleblower case and not a First Amendment one.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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