Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
Description: Two men filed a complaint with the state of Colorado after they asked cake artist Jack Phillips to design a wedding cake to celebrate their same-sex ceremony. In an exchange lasting about 30 seconds, Phillips politely declined, explaining that he would gladly make them any other type of baked item they wanted, but that he could not design a cake promoting a same-sex ceremony because of his faith.
Panel discussion: Landmark cases and Supreme Court preview
WHAT: “American Culture on Appeal” symposium series: “Courts and Culture: Landmark Cases and a Supreme Court Preview”
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 18, 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
WHERE: Jones Day, Seventh Floor, 300 New Jersey Ave. NW, Washington (two blocks from the Capitol Building) or watch live streaming video
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Admission is free and lunch will be provided. Doors open at noon. Space is limited, so please RSVP.
Join the solicitor general of Texas and Supreme Court experts from Alliance Defending Freedom, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC for a two-panel discussion that will examine the recent Supreme Court term’s landmark decisions impacting free speech and religious liberty, and what the court’s treatment of these constitutionally protected freedoms signal as we move into the 2018 term.
The first panel of this “Constitution Day” event will feature a review of the free speech and religious liberty implications of the court’s decisions in the 2017 Supreme Court term, including a focus on Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission and National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra. The second panel will forecast the future of the Supreme Court and review the cases likely to shape application of the Establishment Clause related to war memorials and public prayer. Bloomberg News Supreme Court Correspondent Greg Stohr and SCOTUSblog co-founder Amy Howe will moderate the discussions, which will conclude with time for audience Q&A with the panelists.
Panel I: ADF Vice President of Appellate Advocacy and Senior Counsel John Bursch, Professor at Penn Law School Amanda Shanor, Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller, Bloomberg News Supreme Court Correspondent Greg Stohr (moderator).
Panel II: ADF Vice President of U.S. Litigation and Senior Counsel David Cortman, Americans United for Separation of Church and State Associate Legal Director Alex Luchenitser, Partner at Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC Jeffrey M. Harris, SCOTUSblog co-founder Amy Howe (moderator).
Questions? Contact ADF External Relations Director Rebecca Sears at [email protected].
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.
Featured Coverage
- Adam Liptak: Cake is his ‘art.’ So can he deny one to a gay couple? (New York Times, 2017-09-16)
- William McGurn: The Christian baker who said ‘no’ (Wall Street Journal, 2021-03-22)
- Fox & Friends: Interview with Jack Phillips and Kristen Waggoner (Fox News, 2021-03-25)
- Night Court with Shannon Bream: Interview with Jack Phillips and Kristen Waggoner (Fox News, 2021-03-27)
Photos
Commentary
Previous News Releases
Legal Documents
Related Resources
Photos: Jack Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop
ABOUT Kristen Waggoner
As the CEO, president, and general counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom, Kristen Waggoner leads the faith-based organization in advancing every person's God-given right to live and speak the truth in the U.S. and around the world. She oversees more than 450 ADF team members in 10 global offices. Since 2011, ADF has won 15 cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, three of which were argued by Waggoner: Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Uzuebgunam v. Presczewski, and 303 Creative v. Elenis. ADF also has a strong record of international success at the European Court of Human Rights, United Nations, and other leading courts and tribunals and has secured the release of more than 1,000 imprisoned Christians. After clerking with Washington Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Sanders, Waggoner practiced law for over 16 years at a Seattle firm before joining ADF in 2013. She is Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent™ in Martindale-Hubbell. Waggoner is a sought-after public speaker who often appears in national and international media outlets.
ABOUT John Bursch
John Bursch is senior counsel and vice president of appellate advocacy with Alliance Defending Freedom. Bursch has argued 12 U.S. Supreme Court cases and more than 30 state supreme court cases since 2011, and a recent study concluded that among all frequent Supreme Court advocates who did not work for the federal government, he had the 3rd highest success rate for persuading justices to adopt his legal position. Bursch served as solicitor general for the state of Michigan from 2011-2013. He has argued multiple Michigan Supreme Court cases in eight of the last ten terms and has successfully litigated hundreds of matters nationwide, including six with at least $1 billion at stake. As part of his private firm, Bursch Law PLLC, he has represented Fortune 500 companies, foreign and domestic governments, top public officials, and industry associations in high-profile cases, primarily on appeal. He received his J.D. magna cum laude in 1997 from the University of Minnesota Law School and is admitted to practice in numerous federal district and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
ABOUT David Cortman
David A. Cortman serves as senior counsel and vice president of U.S. litigation with Alliance Defending Freedom. He has been practicing law since 1996, and currently supervises a team of over 40 attorneys and legal staff who specialize in constitutional law, focusing on religious freedom, sanctity of life, and marriage and family. Cortman has litigated hundreds of constitutional law cases including two victories at the U.S. Supreme Court. In Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, he secured a 7-2 victory that overturned Missouri’s denial of a religious school’s participation in a state funding program. Cortman also argued Reed v. Town of Gilbert, securing a 9-0 ruling that prohibits the government from discriminating against religious speech. A member of the bar in Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and the District of Columbia, he is also admitted to practice in over two dozen federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Cortman obtained his J.D. magna cum laude from Regent University School of Law.