The San José Unified School District stripped the Fellowship of Christian Athletes of its status as a fully recognized student organization at three high schools in the district.  It did so because FCA requires its student leaders to affirm a Statement of Faith.  The Robertson Center filed a friend of the court brief in the Ninth Circuit supporting FCA.

In August 2022, the Ninth Circuit panel ruled in favor of FCA.  But the School District asked the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its decision, and the en banc court agreed to rehear the case.  In early 2023, the Robertson Center filed another friend of the court brief with the en banc Ninth Circuit making First Amendment and Equal Access Act arguments.

This ruling sets an important precedent in a circuit court that was historically one of the most hostile to religious liberty.  It will ensure religious organizations like FCA will be treated the same as other groups in public schools. 

The Robertson Center for Constitutional Law is an academic center within the Regent University School of Law.  Established in 2020, the Center pairs advocacy and scholarship to advance first principles in constitutional law, including originalism, separation of powers, and religious liberty.  The Robertson Center has represented former members of Congress, Christian ministries, and others in briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court and other appellate courts.  Learn more about the work of the Robertson Center at https://constitutionallaw.regent.edu/our-work/.

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (June 29, 2023) – The Robertson Center for Constitutional Law celebrates today’s United States Supreme Court ruling in Groff v. DeJoy.  This marks the third consecutive U.S. Supreme Court term in which the Robertson Center has filed a brief in support of the prevailing party.

In February 2023, the Robertson Center and attorneys from McGuireWoods filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the petitioner, postal carrier Gerald Groff.  Mr. Groff, an evangelical Christian, was forced to resign from his job after the United States Postal Service refused to accommodate his Sunday Sabbath observance.  The Robertson Center’s brief presented the Center’s original research showing that a ruling in favor of Mr. Groff would benefit working-class religious Americans.  The Robertson Center’s research was also published by the George Mason Law Review Forum and can be found here.

“Today’s ruling is great news for all Americans of faith.  But as our research shows, those in the working class will benefit most.  We were honored to play a small part in correcting a great injustice,” said Brad Lingo, dean of Regent University School of Law and executive director of the Robertson Center for Constitutional Law.  “It was an amazing experience to research and present our findings directly to the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Alex Touchet, a 2022 Regent Law graduate and fellow at the Robertson Center.

About the Robertson Center for Constitutional Law

The Robertson Center for Constitutional Law is an academic center within the Regent University School of Law.  Established in 2020, the Robertson Center pairs advocacy and scholarship to advance first principles in constitutional law, including originalism, separation of powers, and religious liberty.  The Robertson Center has represented former members of Congress, Christian ministries, and others in briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court and other appellate courts.

About Regent University

Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university, with more than 13,000 students studying on its 70-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online around the world. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study including business, communication and the arts, counseling, cybersecurity, divinity, education, government, law, leadership, nursing, healthcare, and psychology. Regent University has been ranked the #1 Best Accredited Online College in the United States (Study.com, 2020), the #1 Safest College Campus in Virginia (YourLocalSecurity, 2021), and the #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for 11 years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2023).

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (Mar. 16, 2023) – Regent Law welcomed Mississippi Solicitor General Scott Stewart to a “fireside chat” with Dean Brad Lingo on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.  The School of Law’s Robertson Center for Constitutional Law and the Federalist Society sponsored the event.   

Mississippi Solicitor General Stewart is widely known for successfully arguing the landmark case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization before the U.S. Supreme Court—the case that overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Regent law students, faculty, and staff met in the Robertson Hall Moot Courtroom to hear Dean Lingo and Mississippi Solicitor General Stewart discuss the significance of arguing a case before the highest court and how the resulting decision will shape the future of the nation.  “It was a joy to host my friend and former colleague Scott Stewart and allow him to give our students an insider’s view of one of the most important Supreme Court cases of our time,” said Brad Lingo, Dean of Regent Law. “I hope our students were inspired by his message and his example.” 

After the “fireside chat,” attendees were treated to a meet-and-greet reception with Stewart.  “It was an incredible honor to meet and learn from Mr. Stewart. His message about boldness and character and how they intertwine with law was inspiring,” said Tyler Gustafson, President of the Regent Law chapter of the Federalist Society. “The message further confirmed my call to Regent Law and future calling in the legal field to change the world for Christ.” Mr. Gustafson, a 3L, will clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit after he graduates.

About Regent Law

Regent Law’s more than 3,300 graduates practice law in 49 states and over 20 countries and include 38 currently sitting judges.  The School of Law is currently ranked 28^th in the nation for obtaining judicial clerkships and 21^st in the nation for Ultimate Bar Passage. The school offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.) in three-year and part-time formats, an online M.A. in Law, an online M.A. in Financial Planning & Law, an on-campus and online LL.M. in Human Rights, an on-campus and online LL.M. in American Legal Studies, and an online B.A. in Law.

About Regent University

Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university, with more than 13,000 students studying on its 70-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online around the world. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study including business, communication and the arts, counseling, cybersecurity, divinity, education, government, law, leadership, nursing, healthcare, and psychology. Regent University has been ranked the #1 Best Accredited Online College in the United States (Study.com, 2020), the #1 Safest College Campus in Virginia (YourLocalSecurity, 2021), and the #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for 11 years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2023).

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Many court watchers view Dobbs as the most significant abortion case that the Supreme Court has taken in decades. In Dobbs, the court will consider the constitutionality of a Mississippi law prohibiting most abortions after 15 weeks. 

“Dobbs is the most significant abortion-related case in a generation,” said Professor Brad Lingo, executive director of the Robertson Center for Constitutional Law. “We’re grateful that the Robertson Center could play such a meaningful role and do it with a partner like the Christian Legal Society. We’re asking the Supreme Court to restore our constitutional traditions and return to the people the role of determining abortion-related policy.”

The work provided an opportunity for Regent Law students to get firsthand experience working on a Supreme Court brief. “It was an incredible learning experience to observe leading Christian constitutional lawyers strategize and craft a Supreme Court brief,” stated Gabrielle Bruno, a rising second-year student at Regent Law who serves as an intern at the Robertson Center for Constitutional Law. “My experience with the center deepened my understanding of appellate advocacy and sparked a passion to get more involved in this work.”

The Robertson Center for Constitutional Law is an academic center within the Regent University School of Law. Established in 2020, the center pairs advocacy and scholarship to advance first principles in constitutional law, including originalism, separation of powers, and religious liberty. The Robertson Center has represented former members of Congress, Christian ministries, and others in briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court and circuit courts of appeals. Learn more about the work of the Robertson Center at https://constitutionallaw.regent.edu/our-work/.

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About Regent University

Founded in 1978, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university with more than 11,000 students studying on its 70-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online around the world. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study, including business, communication and the arts, counseling, cybersecurity, divinity, education, government, law, leadership, nursing, healthcare, and psychology. Regent University, ranked among top national universities (U.S. News & World Report, 2020), is one of only 23 universities nationally to receive an “A” rating for its comprehensive liberal arts core curriculum.

About Regent Law

Regent Law’s more than 3,300 graduates practice law in 49 states and over 20 countries and include 38 currently sitting judges. The School of Law is currently ranked 22^nd in the nation for obtaining judicial clerkships and ranked 20^th in the nation for Ultimate Bar Passage in 2019. The school offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.) in three-year and part-time formats, an online M.A. in Law, an online M.A. in Financial Planning & Law, an on-campus and online LL.M. in Human Rights, and an on-campus and online LL.M. in American Legal Studies.

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