Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is a nonpartisan legal organization dedicated to defending religious freedom through strategic litigation, public advocacy, and education; it operates primarily in the United States while engaging with international tribunals and human rights bodies. The organization has litigated cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, intervened in disputes involving religious institutions such as the Roman Catholic Church and World Sikh Organization of Canada, and collaborated with legal scholars from institutions including Harvard Law School and Yale Law School.

History

The organization was founded in 1994 by attorney Kevin Hasson, who trained at Georgetown University Law Center and previously worked with entities like the United States Commission on Civil Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union in contexts involving conscience and faith. Early work addressed disputes involving the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and religious orders that intersected with municipal and state regulations in jurisdictions such as Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts. Over time, the office expanded litigation to encompass cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and ultimately the Supreme Court of the United States, engaging with amici from institutions including Stanford Law School and Columbia Law School.

Mission and Activities

Becket describes its mission as protecting the free exercise of religion for diverse faith traditions, ranging from the Roman Catholic Church and Southern Baptist Convention to the Sikh community and Orthodox Jewish institutions, and has represented clients in matters touching the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Its activities include litigation in trial courts such as the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, appellate advocacy before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and appearances before international bodies like the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The organization also engages in policy advocacy with lawmakers from the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, files amicus briefs alongside groups such as the American Jewish Committee and the Cato Institute, and publishes analyses referenced by scholars at Oxford University Press and the University of Chicago Press.

Major Legal Cases

Becket has been counsel in landmark cases that reached the Supreme Court of the United States, including litigation involving the Affordable Care Act contraceptive mandate and litigation touching the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Free Exercise Clause. Notable matters include representation of religious employers and institutions in disputes that drew attention from parties such as the U.S. Department of Justice, state attorneys general from jurisdictions like California and Texas, and advocacy groups including the ACLU and the National Organization for Women. The organization has litigated cases implicating healthcare entities like Catholic Health Initiatives and faith-based charities such as Catholic Charities USA, and has prevailed in some appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. High-profile victories and defenses have generated commentary from commentators at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and legal analysts from Brookings Institution and Heritage Foundation.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

The Becket office is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and maintains regional offices staffed by litigators who graduated from law schools including Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, and Georgetown University Law Center. Leadership has included founders and presidents who have previously served on panels with figures from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federalist Society, and the organization’s board has featured directors drawn from academic institutions like Notre Dame Law School and philanthropic entities such as the Lilly Endowment. Staff attorneys have argued before the Supreme Court of the United States alongside amici from the Beckett Fund's partner organizations and cooperated with counsel from nonprofit litigators such as those at Alliance Defending Freedom and the American Center for Law and Justice.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding for the organization comes from a mix of individual donors, charitable foundations, and institutional grants, and partners have included religious bodies such as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and civil society organizations like the American Jewish Committee. Grantmakers associated with public policy and faith-based initiatives, including foundations linked to figures from Silicon Valley philanthropy and established trusts in New York City, have appeared among supporters, while the organization has collaborated with law firms such as Covington & Burling and Jones Day on pro bono matters. International partnerships have involved human rights advocates at institutions like Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists in dialogues concerning religious freedom standards.

Category:Religious freedom