First Freedom: Religious Liberty in the 21st Century

In his famous Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments, James Madison emphasized the fundamental nature of the right to religious liberty, writing that “the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage and such only as he believes to be acceptable to him . . . is precedent, both in order of time and in degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society.”  Unsurprisingly then, two-and-a-half centuries later, cases involving claims to the free exercise of religion remain some of the most difficult and controversial matters requiring resolution by the judiciary.  Archbishop Jerome Listecki, one of Milwaukee’s most visible faith leaders, will join our chapter to discuss this cherished right.  The Archbishop and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee recently filed an amicus curiae brief in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, a case pending before the Supreme Court in which the Court has been asked to revisit Employment…