LINDSAY AND MATT MOROUN RELIGIOUS LIBERTY CLINIC
2024-2025 Year in Review
ABOUT US
Lindsay and Matt Moroun
Religious Liberty Clinic
Notre Dame Law School’s Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic is a teaching law practice and one of the world’s leading academic institutions dedicated to promoting and defending religious freedom. Within Notre Dame’s Catholic tradition, the Clinic integrates teaching, research, and service to stand as a source of advocacy, counsel, scholarship, and hope in defense of the fundamental right to religious freedom for all people. Through our work, we help further the mission of Notre Dame Law School to form students who will serve their communities with competence and compassion as a powerful force for good in the world.
LEGAL WORK
Under the guidance of Law School faculty and staff, students in the Clinic work on a variety of pro bono legal matters to promote religious freedom for all people. Our work promotes not only the freedom for people to hold religious beliefs but also their fundamental right to express those beliefs and live according to them.
Our students engage in legal work across three different practice groups:
LITIGATION:
Students represent individuals and organizations in defense of their religious freedom before all levels of U.S. courts and administrative agencies.
TRANSACTIONAL ADVISING:
Students serve a variety of religious nonprofit organizations by advising them on tax, corporate, transactional, employment, and strategic issues.
GLOBAL RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION & IMMIGRATION:
Students work on issues related to international religious persecution, including representing clients seeking asylum in the United States and assisting government officials and other organizations investigate and address these issues in other countries.
EVENTS AND PROGRAMMING
In addition to our student-led legal work, the Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic hosts a number of events and programs that promote engagement with pressing issues related to religious freedom. The Clinic has organized a broad variety of programs, including conferences, academic lectures, book launches, film screenings, and more.
In addition to the Clinic’s programs, the Law School annually hosts the Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit, which convenes leading scholars, advocates, and religious leaders for conversations about the future of religious liberty in the U.S. and around the world.
The fourth year of our Religious Liberty Clinic has been one marked by new accomplishments and profound successes. Under the guidance of a team of dedicated attorneys, a class of 27 law students helped build religious organizations from the ground up, secured safety for individuals facing violence simply because of their faith, and advocated for the fundamental right of religious freedom at all levels of U.S. courts — including all the way to the Supreme Court.
Across the Clinic, the team’s commitment and care has achieved important victories for our clients and, in the process, helped advance the rights of all believers.
We are proud to share some of the highlights of the past year. And we thank the many colleagues, benefactors, advisors, and partners who continue to support and join us in this mission to defend our most foundational human right.
In Notre Dame, John Meiser Associate Clinical Professor of
Law
Faculty Director,
Lindsay & Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic
OUR LEGAL WORK
Advocating for Religious Freedom at the Supreme Court
St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond
Over the past four years, more than a dozen students in our Clinic have helped support the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa in their mission to open St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School — a virtual charter school designed to serve communities in need across Oklahoma. This Spring, that included the rare opportunity to represent St. Isidore before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Approved in 2023 to operate as a virtual charter school, St. Isidore hoped to build on centuries of Catholic education by offering a new choice for families seeking the best education for their children. St. Isidore was approved to join the dozens of privately operated charter schools in Oklahoma which provide an array of schooling choices to students across the state. Yet this historic initiative faced a major legal challenge when the Oklahoma Attorney General sued to block St. Isidore from opening, arguing that faith-based educators should be excluded from the charter school program.
After the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against St. Isidore, the U.S. Supreme Court took up the case — setting the stage for a landmark decision on religious equality and the rights of religious educators and the families they serve.
On April 30, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case. Under the guidance of John Meiser and Meredith Kessler, a team of four Clinic students helped prepare the briefing and arguments for the Supreme Court. In April, they attended oral arguments and watched as our co-counsel Michael McGinley of Dechert LLP argued on behalf of St. Isidore.
Unfortunately, on May 22, 2025, the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 and issued an unsigned order that allows the lower court’s decision to stand.
The Religious Liberty Clinic is proud to have stood with St. Isidore, alongside Notre Dame Law School Professor Nicole Stelle Garnett and a team of attorneys from Dechert LLP and Perri Dunn PLLC — including Notre Dame alumni Michael McGinley and Michael Perri. We remain committed to defending the right of people of faith to serve their communities without discrimination.
“It was an honor to experience arguments at the Supreme Court. Very few lawyers get to
see a case they worked on go to the Supreme Court, and I’m so grateful to do so while still in school.”
–Hadiah Mabry, ’25 J.D.
LEARN MORE
Securing Freedom from
Religious Discrimination Jarrard v. Sheriff of Polk County (11th Cir.)
In September, our Clinic secured a major victory for Stephen Jarrard, an Evangelist of the Church of Christ who has been excluded from a Georgia county jail’s volunteer ministry program because of his views on baptism. Jail officials, who personally reject Jarrard’s religious views, told Jarrard he could not return unless he stopped teaching his faith.
After Jarrard’s suit for First Amendment retaliation was dismissed, Jarrard retained the Clinic to lead his appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Under the supervision of John Meiser and Meredith Kessler, a team of students helped lead the appeal, alongside attorneys Zack Greenamyre of Mitchell Shapiro Greenamyre & Funt, LLP and Gerald Weber of Atlanta. Meiser argued the case in April 2024.
In September 2024, the Eleventh Circuit ruled in Jarrard’s favor, affirming that jail officials cannot punish Jarrard simply because they disagree with his religious views. Our Clinic is now proud to continue representing Jarrard before the trial court following the Eleventh Circuit’s restoration of his religious-discrimination claims.
“Working on Stephen’s appeal has been a highlight of my time in law school. This victory provides wonderful motivation to continue working toward the same protections for others facing religious discrimination.”
–Alicia
Armstrong, ’25 J.D.
Protecting Religious Rights in Prison Owens v. Schuette (6th Cir.)
In April 2025, our Clinic filed an opening brief in a federal appeal by Marvin Owens, a practicing Muslim who was denied religious accommodations during Ramadan while incarcerated at a county jail. After jail officials failed to accommodate Owens’s religious obligation to fast from dawn to sunset, he sought relief under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) — a law designed to safeguard the religious exercise of inmates.
After Owens was moved to another facility, the trial court dismissed his claims, pointing to earlier decisions that held that RLUIPA does not allow courts to award monetary damages to remedy harms like those Owens suffered. Owens then retained our Clinic to appeal that decision alongside Amy V. Doukoure of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Led by John Meiser, Meredith Kessler, and Domenic Canonico, a team of five students helped prepare Owens’s opening brief. As the brief makes clear, RLUIPA plainly allows Owens to obtain “appropriate relief” — including monetary damages — to remedy the severe harms he suffered when denied religiously appropriate meals.
The appeal remains pending, and we continue to work to defend the right of all members of our community — including those imprisoned — to practice their faith.
“Working on this case allowed us to play an active role in the Clinic’s mission to protect religious liberty for people of all faiths, including those who are often overlooked. As students, we had the opportunity to take the lead in analyzing the issues and crafting the brief. It was an incredible learning experience.”
–Jessica Smith, ’26 J.D.
Defending the Persecuted: Asylum Advocacy
Religious persecution forces millions from their homes each year, and a number of students in our Clinic have served those fleeing violence for their faith through the U.S. asylum system. This year, the Clinic secured protection for three clients from some of the world’s most repressive regimes.
In May 2024, the Clinic helped a young Uyghur Muslim woman win asylum after escaping China’s brutal campaign of mass detention, forced labor, and cultural erasure. In partnership with leading Uyghur-rights advocate Nury Turkel, a team of four students helped prepare the young woman for her asylum interview before the immigration office in Chicago.
In another case, the Clinic secured asylum for an Iranian man who converted to Christianity and faced the death penalty for apostasy. After entering the U.S. and being released from detention, he was represented before the Santa Ana Immigration Court by a group of students supervised by Kimberlie Orr and Domenic Canonico. On January 24, 2025, the court granted him asylum, affirming his right to worship freely and live in safety.
Finally, another team of students led by Orr and Canonico represented a Hazara Shi’a Muslim man from Afghanistan targeted by both the Taliban and ISIS. Though legal bars prevented a grant of asylum, the immigration court granted deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture, recognizing he would likely face torture if returned. The Clinic has appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals seeking full asylum.
Clinic students participated in every stage — from client interviews to court hearings — gaining firsthand experience in asylum law while serving those most at risk.
“Advocating for someone fleeing persecution was a truly meaningful experience. It was a rewarding opportunity to practice the legal skills I developed through the Religious Liberty Clinic.”
–Gloria Wertjes, ’26, J.D.
OUR LEGAL WORK
Counseling Faith-Based Organizations
Through the Religious Liberty Clinic’s transactional advising section, students provided vital pro bono legal services to religious nonprofit organizations across the country. Under the guidance of attorneys Brendan Wilson and Brett Cavanaugh, a team of 8 second- and third-year law students addressed a wide range of legal needs that included tax compliance, corporate governance, employment policies, and strategic planning.
Over the past year, students helped an array of clients form new nonprofit entities, secure for tax-exempt status from the IRS, draft bylaws and governance documents, and ensure compliance with a variety of legal and regulatory requirements. The Clinic worked with diverse organizations — ranging from local churches and schools to international ministries such as Church Life Africa and the PreachFor Foundation — helping them establish strong legal frameworks to support their missions.
In addition to offering critical legal support to organizations that often lack regular access to counsel, these experiences provided students with valuable opportunities to personally advise and support religious organizations navigate legal hurdles to carry out their ministries. The transactional section helps fill a growing need in the legal profession by equipping future lawyers to serve faith-based organizations with professionalism and care.
“The
best part of working in the Clinic has been facilitating the truly good work of our clients. Though they live out their faiths in a variety of different ways, our clients all seek to make the world a better place — and it is profoundly gratifying to support them in this.”
–Nick Munsen, ’25, J.D.
Amicus Filings
In addition to our work on behalf of parties to litigation, our Clinic routinely files amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs to weigh in on an array of important cases around the country.
Over the past year, we filed eight amicus briefs in state and federal courts, including three in the U.S. Supreme Court. Representing Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Native American, and Sikh groups, these briefs advocated for religious exercise in prison, a religious school’s freedom to educate in accordance with its faith, the right of religious organizations to use their property for religious exercise, and the protection of indigenous sacred lands.
CLINIC FEATURED IN “WHAT WOULD YOU FIGHT FOR” SERIES
This Fall, Notre Dame’s Emmy-Award winning What Would You Fight For? series highlighted our Clinic’s work representing a coalition of indigenous groups arguing in defense of Oak Flat, an ancient sacred site threatened by a copper mining operation in Arizona. Through a series of amicus briefs in federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, our Clinic has urged courts to ensure that Indigenous spiritual practices receive the same protections afforded to more mainstream religions.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Notre Dame Law School Hosts Fourth Annual Religious Liberty Summit Focused on “Depolarizing Religious Liberty”
NEWS AND EVENTS
Religious Liberty Clinic Renamed in Honor of Lindsay and Matt Moroun
At the fourth annual Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit, Notre Dame Law School announced that its Religious Liberty Clinic has been renamed the Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic in recognition of the Morouns’ founding support and continued generosity. Established in 2020, the Clinic has quickly grown into one of the largest academic institutions dedicated to promoting and defending religious freedom.
“Our students and faculty have accomplished extraordinary work thanks to the Morouns’ faith-driven vision,” said Dean G. Marcus Cole. “We are deeply grateful for their leadership.” Clinic director John Meiser added, “I am deeply grateful to the Moroun family, whose generosity has enabled us to give our students unparalleled opportunities to serve people in need and to participate in this critical work to protect our most foundational freedom.”
Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., formally blessed the newly named Clinic during the Summit.
“As a Catholic university, Notre Dame has from its founding proven that faith is not only compatible with a free society and the open pursuit of truth, it is necessary to their fulfillment. That is why Notre Dame Law School is the ideal home to prepare students to be fearless defenders of every person’s God-given right to live their lives according to their beliefs.”
–Lindsay and Matt Moroun
More than 175 global scholars, faith leaders, and advocates gathered at Notre Dame Law School for the fourth annual Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit, held July 8-10, 2024. Hosted by the Law School, the Summit featured nearly 50 speakers across 16 panels discussing the future of religious freedom amid increasing polarization worldwide.
Themed “Depolarizing Religious Liberty,” the event addressed topics including international diplomacy, solidarity among persecuted faith groups, and the impact of war on religious freedom, with panels on Ukraine, Jewish-Muslim dialogue post- October 7, and legislative protections for belief.
Keynote speakers included Professor John Inazu of Washington University in St. Louis, Rabbi Alex Goldberg of the University of Surrey, and Nazila Ghanea, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, who received the 2024 Notre Dame Prize for Religious Liberty. Thomas Berg received the 2024 Religious Liberty Scholarship Award.
Practitioner Workshops
During the Summit, the Religious Liberty Clinic hosted strategic workshops for religious liberty litigators and transactional lawyers.
John Meiser and Meredith Kessler facilitated a litigators roundtable where expert panels of religious liberty advocates, scholars, and advisors discussed recent developments in lower courts, identified issues in need of attention, and considered strategic opportunities to advance religious freedom outside the courtroom.
A separate transactional advising workshop led by Brendan Wilson and Brett Cavanaugh offered attendees the opportunity to learn about state laws and regulations governing religious organizations and to consider the ways in which religious liberty protections intersect with other legal rights.
Book Talks Highlight Courage, Advocacy, and the Need for Action
This year, our Clinic hosted two book talks to highlight recent works that underscore the human cost of religious persecution and the vital role of legal and policy advocacy in defending religious freedom.
In November, the Clinic welcomed Fr. Stephen Omeiza Ojapah, a Catholic priest and survivor of Boko Haram’s violence in northern Nigeria. Fr. Ojapah shared his harrowing experience of abduction and captivity, detailed in his book Tears and Torture. His testimony offered a deeply personal and moving account of resilience and faith. Fr. Ojapah’s presence reminded attendees — students, faculty, and community members — of the global stakes involved in religious liberty, and the courage of those who bear witness from the frontlines.
The Clinic also partnered with the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies to host a discussion with international human rights lawyer Knox Thames on his book, Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom. Drawing on years of diplomatic and policy experience, Thames shared stories of individuals whose lives have been marked by persecution — from Cairo to Pakistan — bringing to life the urgent need for systemic reform and personal advocacy.
The conversation was enriched by reflections from Kroc Institute Executive Director Erin Corcoran and political science professor Daniel Philpott, and was moderated by Clinic attorney Kimberlie Orr. Students engaged in a lively Q&A session, exploring how young advocates can maintain resolve in the face of global suffering.
These book talks exemplify the Clinic’s mission to equip the next generation of lawyers with the understanding and practical tools to defend religious freedom.
Clinic Helps Launch Website to Shine Light on Religious Discrimination Across the United States
On April 3, 2025, our Clinic — in partnership with Notre Dame Law School’s Education Law Project, the EPIC Coalition, and Teach Coalition — helped launch an interactive website that documents laws and regulations that discriminate against religious organizations across all 50 states. The website aims to help researchers, advocates, and policymakers identify state laws that potentially violate the First Amendment by denying religious believers equal access to a wide variety of public programs.
The new website provides a database highlighting state statutes and regulations that prohibit religious organizations from participating in public programs on equal footing with their secular counterparts. The project is spearheaded by John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law Nicole Stelle Garnett, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law Professor Michael A. Helfand, and Associate Clinical Professor and Religious Liberty Clinic director John Meiser
“The scope and impact of this ongoing discrimination are staggering,” Garnett and Helfand wrote in support of the project. “We hope to equip advocates and lawmakers to begin the hard work of eliminating the persistent, pervasive discrimination that continues to unconstitutionally restrict religious liberty.”
STUDENT AND ALUMNI NEWS
Two Clinic Alumni Clerk for U.S. Supreme Court
Two Notre Dame Law School graduates and former members of the Religious Liberty Clinic secured clerkships at the Supreme Court of the United States, one of the most prestigious and competitive opportunities available to lawyers.
ELIZABETH TOTZKE, ’22 J.D.
Totzke, a 2022 graduate of Notre Dame Law School and member of the Religious Liberty Clinic in its inaugural year, is finishing a year clerking for Justice Amy Coney Barrett during the 2024-25 Supreme Court Term. She previously served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Diane Sykes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Judge David Stras of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
BILLY EISENHAUER, ’23 J.D.
Eisenhauer, a 2023 graduate of the Law School and member of the Religious Liberty Clinic during his 3L year, will serve as a law clerk to Chief Justice John Roberts during the 2025-26 Supreme Court Term. He previously served as a law clerk to Judge Amul Thapar of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Judge Benjamin Beaton of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
Clinic Students Earn Top 3 Academic Prizes
Former Religious Liberty Clinic students earned each of the Law School’s top three academic awards for the Class of 2025.
ANDREW OLSON, COL. WILLIAM J. HOYNES AWARD
Named after Notre Dame Law School’s first dean, the Hoynes Award is the Law School’s highest academic honor, given to a graduating student who displays outstanding scholarship, application, deportment, and achievement. Olson will clerk for Judge Britt Grant of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and then for Judge Carl Nichols of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
OLIVIA LYONS, DEAN JOSEPH O’MEARA AWARD
Established by the Class of 1964, the Dean Joseph O’Meara Award recognizes a member of the graduating class for outstanding academic achievement. Lyons will clerk for Judge Julius Richardson of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and then for Judge Benjamin Beaton of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
ALICIA ARMSTRONG, FARABAUGH PRIZE
First awarded in 1927, the Farabaugh Prize recognizes a member of the graduating class who displays high scholarship in law. Armstrong will clerk for Judge Elizabeth Branch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and then for Judge Trevor McFadden of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Clinic Graduates Honored for Service & Leadership
A number of Clinic students in the Class of 2025 earned top graduation prizes recognizing their outstanding leadership and service during Law School, including:
ALICIA ARMSTRONG & ANNE MARIE ORTEGA: Received the Patricia O’Hara Scholarship and Leadership Award for combining excellence in scholarship and leadership.
RANIA KHAMEES: Received the Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Student Award for outstanding contributions to the Law School’s clinics.
MARIA LAKE: Received the Captain O. McLean Law School Community Citizenship Award for outstanding contributions to the lives of Notre Dame Law School students.
HADIAH MABRY: Received the Lardy Scholarship for exemplifying “courage, love, and understanding toward her fellow man.”
NICK MUNSEN: Received the Anne C. Hamilton Award and the Conrad Kellenberg Award, for service to the Notre Dame Law School, fellow students, and the local community.
SHIDEYA PARRILLA: Received the Judge Joseph E. Mahoney Award and the University’s Sister Jean Lenz Leadership Award, for outstanding leadership in the University community.
CLINIC FACULTY AND STAFF
G. Marcus Cole
Joseph A. Matson Dean and Professor of Law
John Meiser
Religious Liberty Clinic Faculty Director
Associate Clinical Professor of Law
Meredith Holland Kessler
Staff Attorney & Litigation Section Co-Instructor
Term Teaching Professor of Law
Brendan Wilson
Transactional Advising Section Co-Instructor
Adjunct Professor of Law
Kimberlie Orr
Legal Fellow & Global Religious Persecution Section
Co-Instructor
Term Teaching Professor of Law
Brett Cavanaugh
Legal Fellow
Domenic Canonico
Legal Fellow
Elyse Paul
Marketing Communications Specialist
Laura Sniadecki
Legal Assistant
Thank You to Our Friends
As we reflect on this past academic year and look to the next, we thank our generous benefactors, advisors, and colleagues. Their steadfast commitment and generosity of time and spirit inspire our work promoting and defending religious freedom for all people.
We are especially grateful to our Board of Advisors, whose service and strategic advice have greatly enriched our efforts. In addition, we thank the many faculty at Notre Dame Law School who have supported our work through their scholarship, teaching, and collaboration.