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Explore Pew Forum legal reports, which examine the legal and constitutional issues at the heart of an array of issues at the intersection of religion and public life.

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LEGAL REPORT January 11, 2012
In Brief: Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC
On Oct. 5, 2011, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a case that could help determine how much latitude religious organizations have in making employment decisions about clergy and others who perform religious duties.
LEGAL REPORT March 31, 2011
Churches in Court
 Whenever churches or religious organizations find themselves involved in civil litigation, courts first must determine whether the First Amendment’s religion clauses bestow a unique legal status on religious organizations that puts some of their decisions and actions beyond the reach of civil laws. 
LEGAL REPORT November 22, 2010
Proposition 8 on Trial: A Federal Court of Appeals Takes Up California’s Gay Marriage Ban
On Dec. 6, a federal appeals court in San Francisco will hear arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8, a voter-approved 2008 California ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage in the state.
LEGAL REPORT October 19, 2010
In Brief: Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn and Arizona Department of Revenue v. Winn
On Nov. 3, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a pair of related cases involving a constitutional challenge to an Arizona tax policy aimed at providing scholarships for children to attend private – often religious – schools.
LEGAL REPORT August 4, 2010
Federal Court Strikes Down Calif. Same-Sex Marriage Ban
A federal district court judge struck down California’s ban on gay marriage, ruling that the prohibition violates the U.S. Constitution.
LEGAL REPORT June 28, 2010
High Court Rules Against Campus Christian Group
A divided Supreme Court today ruled, 5-4, that a public law school can deny recognition to a student group that excludes gays and lesbians. The Court said the school could enforce a policy requiring official student organizations to accept all students who want to join.
LEGAL REPORT April 28, 2010
High Court Decision in Salazar v. Buono
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that had ordered the removal of a cross from a World War I memorial located in California’s Mojave National Preserve.
LEGAL REPORT April 6, 2010
In Brief: Christian Legal Society v. Martinez
On April 19, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, a case that will determine whether a public institution can refuse to officially recognize a religiously based organization that prevents those who do not share its religious and moral values from becoming voting members.
LEGAL REPORT December 3, 2009
Sikh-Americans and Religious Liberty
With their distinctive appearance and religious practices, Sikh-Americans often find themselves at the center of workplace discrimination cases and other controversies involving their religious rights. To better understand religious liberty and accommodation issues involving Sikh-Americans, the Pew Forum turns to church-state scholar Robert W. Tuttle.
LEGAL REPORT September 24, 2009
In Brief: Salazar v. Buono
On Oct. 7, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Salazar v. Buono, a case involving a constitutional challenge to the presence of an eight-foot-tall Christian cross in the Mojave National Preserve in California. The Pew Forum provides a brief overview of the case's long path to the Supreme Court.
LEGAL REPORT July 9, 2009
The Constitutional Dimensions of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate
While the gay marriage controversy has many elements, including disagreements over religious and social norms, much of the debate is a legal one.  
LEGAL REPORT May 14, 2009
Shifting Boundaries
The debate over government funding of religious institutions raises some thorny issues in the discussion about the appropriate relationship between church and state. Most legal scholars agree that the Constitution limits at least some government funding of religion but disagree sharply on exactly what is permissible.
LEGAL REPORT March 6, 2009
Stimulus Package Stimulates Church-State Debate
Economic stimulus legislation has brought on a church-state debate regarding school funding. The Pew Forum turns to church-state scholar Robert Tuttle.
LEGAL REPORT February 4, 2009
The Social and Legal Dimensions of the Evolution Debate in the U.S.
As with many social and political controversies in the United States, the battle over evolution has been largely fought in courtrooms.
LEGAL REPORT January 30, 2009
Hiring Law for Groups Following a Higher Law: Faith-Based Hiring and the Obama Administration
The Bush administration contended that religious groups always have the right to hire on the basis of religion. But President Obama has suggested that he disagrees with this policy. To explore how the Obama administration might alter Bush’s policy, the Pew Forum turns to church-state scholar Ira “Chip” Lupu.
LEGAL REPORT October 31, 2008
In Brief: Pleasant Grove City v. Summum
On Nov. 12, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Pleasant Grove City v. Summum, a case that could change how public parks display religious messages such as the Ten Commandments.
LEGAL REPORT October 23, 2008
A Fluid Boundary: The Free Exercise Clause and the Legislative and Executive Branches
Courts have long grappled with questions of religious freedom, but other government bodies also help ensure protection of this cherished liberty.
LEGAL REPORT October 23, 2008
Brutalism Is in the Eye of the Beholder: A Congregation Sues D.C. for Making Its Church Building a Historic Landmark
The Third Church of Christ, Scientist, in Washington, D.C., is at the center of a lawsuit over how the government regulates religious use of land.
POLL October 1, 2008
Americans Wary of Church Involvement in Partisan Politics
More than two dozen pastors challenged a provision in the tax code that restricts the political activities of houses of worship and other tax-exempt organizations.
LEGAL REPORT September 30, 2008
Pro-Choice Does Not Mean Pro-Abortion: An Argument for Abortion Rights Featuring the Rev. Carlton Veazey
To explore the case for abortion rights, the Pew Forum turns to the Rev. Carlton W. Veazey, who for more than a decade has been president of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.
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