ChurchStateLaw.com
Title
Religious Liberty Archive : Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP, Colorado Springs, CO - State and federal laws pertaining to religious freedom in the United States
Description
Religious institutions regularly confront a variety of legal issues just as other nonprofit organizations do. Religious organizations face legal problems arising from their employees and their reliance on volunteers. Religious groups manage a wide variety of liability risks. Legal problems frequently arise from buying, selling, renting, exchanging, zoning, and developing property. Legal issues also regularly arise in conjunction with fund raising, borrowing money, and in determining their tax obligations.
Religious organizations, however, are unique in several regards. They are called by faith to advance a religious mission. Their inspired callings result in unique polities and governance and, often, in values and practices that may be contrary to the dominant secular culture and the civil laws reflecting that culture. Religious institutions are called to serve the vulnerable and the broken which carries special liability risks. Pastors, rabbis, pastoral counselors, and others deal daily with highly confidential information involving their parishioners. Because churches, synagogues, and religious schools teach and preach particular beliefs and high ethical standards, departure from those teachings may give rise to scandal and more potent civil claims. In addition, government has, by statutory exemption and by a variety of laws, including the First Amendment, state constitution religious liberty provisions, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, privilege statutes, and other enactments, routinely treated religious organizations differently from their secular counterparts.
Attorneys in the RJ&L Religious Institutions Group serve religious organizations with great sensitivity to their distinctive characteristics and with knowledge and experience regarding their unique legal status. Our lawyers routinely advocate on behalf of religious entities in administrative settings and in state and federal trial and appellate courts from coast to coast. On matters of common interest, our attorneys frequently organize ecumenical coalitions to address legislative concerns and to prepare amicus briefs regarding cases of general concern pending in appellate courts. Our attorneys also discreetly consult with and advise general counsel serving a variety of religious institutions.
Contact
- Rothgerber, Johnson and Lyons, LLP
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- Denver CO
- United States 80202
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- 303.623.9000
