WHO: Alliance Defending Freedom and Thomas More Society attorneys and clients
WHAT: Press conference regarding National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Treto
WHEN: Immediately following oral arguments, which begin at 9:30 a.m. CDT, Friday, April 10
WHERE: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn St., Chicago. Oral arguments will be held in Room 2721 or view the livestream; press conference will take place outside the court building following the arguments. To schedule an interview, contact ADF Media Relations Specialist Elizabeth Martin at (571) 541-7649.
CHICAGO – Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates and three Illinois pregnancy centers will participate in a press conference Tuesday following oral arguments in the 10-year-old case of NIFLA v. Treto at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Two ADF clients and attorneys with Thomas More Society representing clients in a companion case will also participate. The plaintiffs are appealing an Illinois district court decision that says a provision in state law forcing pregnancy centers to refer pregnant women for an abortion is not a violation of their speech and conscience rights.
NIFLA and the pregnancy centers have been challenging Illinois laws that violate their deeply held beliefs about protecting unborn life. In April 2025, the district court rightly ruled that a provision of state law that forces pro-life pregnancy centers to promote abortion and its supposed “benefits” is unconstitutional, compelled speech. But the court also ruled that a provision compelling pregnancy centers to make abortion referrals is not illegal under a second provision of the law.
“No one should be forced to express a message that violates their convictions, and compelling people to refer others for abortions does that,” said ADF Of Counsel Erin Hawley. “The U.S. Supreme Court held in NIFLA v. Becerra that forcing people to promote abortion is unconstitutional.”
“For nearly a decade, Illinois has sought to force pro-life physicians and pregnancy centers to promote and refer for abortion against their deeply held convictions,” added Thomas More Society Senior Counsel Pat Gillen. “The state cannot condition conscience protections on a willingness to do either—that is both unconstitutional and unconscionable.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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