Liberty Counsel

Liberty Counsel is a non-profit public interest law firm and ministry that provides free legal assistance in defense of Christian religious liberty, the sanctity of human life, and the traditional family.cite web
url = http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-liberty_finalmay21,1,4880047.story?track=rss&page=2&ctrack=1&cset=true
title = Falwell Saw Law School as Tool to Alter Society
accessdate = 2007-05-21
publisher = Chicago Tribune] Liberty Counsel is headed by attorney Mathew D. Staver, who founded the legal ministry in 1989 and currently serves as its Chairman. Before entering the law, Mat Staver was a Christian minister and pastor of Seventh Day Adventist Churches. Anita L. Staver, his wife, serves as President of Liberty Council. A close partnership exists between Liberty University, its newly formed Jesse Helms School of Law, and Liberty Counsel. Liberty University was founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell and Mat Staver serves as the law school's Dean. ]

Liberty Counsel operates in three distinct, yet related areas: education, litigation and public policy promotion. The firm handles mainly First Amendment cases and issues, especially in the areas of religious liberties, freedom of speech, church/state issues in public schools and in the public square, the sanctity of human life at all stages, and traditional family values (include the defense of marriage between one man and one woman). [Hacker, Hans J. "The Culture of Conservative Christian Litigation". 2005. Lanham MD: Rowman & Littlefield.] Educational materials are made available to individuals who want to understand the law and their constitutional rights so that they may confidently exercise their civil liberties and religious freedom.

Although most legal issues brought to the firm are settled favorably without litigation through advice and communication, Liberty Counsel does provide free legal representation in civil rights and liberties litigation when needed. The firm has an 86% win ratio at trialFact|date=June 2008. Liberty Counsel also provides information, research, and expertise to affect legislation and public policy at the local, state, and national level. In particular, Liberty Counsel operates the Liberty Center for Law and Policy, which monitors and influences legislation. [Liberty Counsel, "Take Back America", 2007]

Liberty Counsel has established its goals revolving around influencing policy and providing courts with the legal rationale to develop precedent favorable to its mission. The firm has made a significant contribution to the free expression defense in religious establishment cases, as well as promoting religious tolerance and the tolerance of religion in the public square. Liberty Counsel's central goal is to educate both its membership and public officials about the role of religion in public life. [Hacker, Hans J. "The Culture of Conservative Christian Litigation". 2005. Lanham MD: Rowman & Littlefield.]

Notable cases

*"McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky" [545 U.S. 844 (2005).] defending a Ten Commandments public monument. Liberty Counsel lost this case that challenged the legal test regarding religious displays used by the courts since the 1970s. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia delivered a stinging dissent that challenged prevailing Supreme Court jurisprudence regarding the Establishment Clause of the constitution. [cite web
url = http://www.lc.org/pressrelease/2004/nr120804.htm
title = Liberty Counsel Files Brief With The United States Supreme Court In Kentucky Ten Commandments Case.
accessdate = 2006-12-07
publisher = Liberty Counsel]
*"Wigg v. Sioux Falls School District 49-6" [382 F.3d 807 (8th Cir. 2004).] - the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that after school Bible study classes on campus after school hours does not violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, since it constitutes private free-speech. [cite web
url = http://www.lc.org/pressrelease/2004/nr090304.htm
title = Federal Appeals Court Rules That Public School Teacher May Participate In A Christian After-School Good News Club For Elementary Students
accessdate = 2006-12-07
publisher = Liberty Counsel]
*"Madsen v. Women's Health Ctr." [512 U.S. 753 (1994).] - the United States Supreme Court defined the limits of injunctive relief available to abortion clinics against pickets and demonstrators. The Court established the Madsen Test for injunctive relief, which is permissible only upon showing that 1) the defendant has violated or imminently will violate some provision of law, 2) there is a discerable danger of recurrent violations, and 3) a following speech restrictive injunction may not burden speech more than necessary to serve a significant government interest. [Mathew D. Staver, "Injunctive Relief and the "Madsen "Test", 14 ST. LOUIS U. PUB. L. REV. 465, 478 (1995).]

Writings

*"Judicial Tyranny - The Faith & Freedom Series" - ISBN 0-9662079-1-2
* "Eternal Vigilance - Knowing and Protecting Your Religious Freedom" - ISBN 0-8054-4000-3
* "Same-Sex Marriage - Putting Every Household at Risk" - ISBN 0-8054-3196-9

References

External links

* [http://lc.org/ Liberty Counsel]