American Center For Law And JusticeEdit
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) is a nonprofit legal organization in the United States that pursues conservative-leaning interpretations of constitutional rights, with a strong emphasis on religious liberty, free speech, and the protection of what it sees as the traditional role of faith in public life. Founded in 1990 by prominent attorney Jay Sekulow, the ACLJ positions itself as a defender of conscience rights against government overreach, arguing that the First Amendment safeguards the ability of individuals and faith-based institutions to live according to their beliefs without unnecessary interference. It conducts litigation, public-policy advocacy, and public education to advance its mission, and it maintains involvement in both domestic and international issues related to religious freedom and the protection of life and family values.
The ACLJ frames religious liberty as a foundational protection within the U.S. Constitution and the broader framework of American civil society. It distinguishes itself by combining courtroom work with policy outreach and media activity, seeking to shape legal doctrine, legislative proposals, and cultural understandings of what it means to live out faith in modern society. The organization often highlights cases involving the First Amendment, the Free Exercise Clause, and questions of church-state separation, arguing that broad protections for religious exercise also support individual rights across a wide range of contexts.
History
The ACLJ was established in 1990 by Jay Sekulow and a group of fellow lawyers who wanted to focus on constitutional litigation and policy work in defense of religious liberty and related civil-rights concerns. Over the ensuing decades, it grew from a litigation-focused initiative into a national advocacy organization with a substantial litigation footprint, amicus briefs before the Supreme Court and other federal courts, and a public-facing program aimed at educating lawmakers, clergy, and laypeople about constitutional rights.
In the late 1990s through the 2000s, the ACLJ expanded its reach by building a network of supporters, donors, and allied groups, while continuing to file legal actions and briefs in important cases touching on religious freedom, speech, and conscience rights. During the 2010s, the ACLJ increased its profile in national public life, and its leadership—most notably Jay Sekulow—often spoke publicly about the role of faith in law and public policy. In the late 2010s and into the 2020s, Sekulow served as a prominent lawyer for political figures at moments when religion and constitutional rights were central to public debate, a fact that brought both attention and controversy to the organization.
The ACLJ maintains that its work is grounded in the protection of conscience and the free exercise of faith, and it continues to argue that religious liberty is not a special privilege but a fundamental right that enables individuals to pursue righteousness, provide charitable services, and participate in public life without being coerced to violate their beliefs. First Amendment arguments, including protections for religious expression in public life and the protection against government establishment of religion, remain central to its casework and policy agenda.
Legal philosophy and activities
Litigation strategy: The ACLJ emphasizes formal legal action—often through amicus briefs and cases before the Supreme Court and other federal courts—to advance its interpretation of the First Amendment and related constitutional guarantees. It argues that religious exercise should be given broad protection and that conscience-based exemptions should be available in a wide range of contexts. See Free Exercise Clause and Establishment Clause for the core constitutional concepts it frequently invokes.
Public-policy advocacy: Beyond the courtroom, the ACLJ engages in education and lobbying efforts aimed at influencing lawmakers and the public on issues such as religious liberty, life, and family policy. It produces policy papers, media content, and outreach designed to shape discourse around the role of faith in public life. See Religious liberty for the underlying policy theme.
International dimension: The organization frames religious liberty as a global concern and has pursued international outreach and legal cooperation to assist persecuted faith communities and to promote freedom of worship and conscience around the world. This aligns with the broader idea that constitutional rights have universal resonance even as they are implemented in diverse legal systems. See Religious freedom for context.
Notable leadership and affiliation: The ACLJ is closely associated with its founder Jay Sekulow, who has served as its chief counsel and later became a prominent figure in national political-legal debates, including involvement in high-profile matters at the federal level. See Jay Sekulow.
Notable cases and campaigns
The ACLJ has described its repertoire as including numerous amicus briefs and strategic lawsuits intended to clarify and defend the scope of religious liberty and related constitutional rights. It emphasizes cases involving the interplay of faith with education, public accommodation, and government policy, and it has argued for broad protections for religious exercise and conscience rights in a variety of settings. Readers can explore how these legal arguments intersect with the newer cultural debates about the limits of religious liberty in a pluralistic society by examining First Amendment, Free Speech, and Religious liberty materials.
In its public-facing work, the ACLJ also highlights its role in defending prayer and other expressions of faith in public life, while contending that such protections do not seek to advance a single faith at the expense of others but to safeguard pluralism by shielding conscience from compelled conformity. See Pledge of Allegiance and related discussions of religious expression in public institutions for broader context.
Governance, funding, and structure
The ACLJ operates as a nonprofit organization governed by a board and led by a chief counsel who directs its litigation and policy activities. It relies on philanthropic support from individuals and organizations that share an interest in promoting constitutional rights as the organization defines them. As a national and international advocate for religious liberty and related civil-rights concerns, the ACLJ emphasizes accountability to its supporters and to the principles it seeks to defend in court and in the public square. See Nonprofit organization and Public policy for related topics.
Controversies and debates
Like many organizations that place religion and public policy at the center of their work, the ACLJ has faced critique from observers who argue that its framing of religious liberty is used to advance a broader political and social agenda. Critics contend that the organization’s emphasis on exemptions and conscience rights can conflict with other civil-rights priorities, particularly in areas such as LGBT rights or reproductive rights. Supporters respond that religious liberty protections are a fundamental part of the constitutional balance and that it is appropriate to defend conscience rights even when doing so involves contentious policy debates. The debate touches on the longstanding question of how the Separation of church and state should operate in a diverse, rights-respecting republic. See discussions around Constitutional law and Religious liberty for a fuller sense of the competing interpretations.
In the era of high-profile political activity, the ACLJ’s prominence connected to its leadership’s involvement with national figures in moments when the law intersected with politics has sparked scrutiny about the organization’s independence and the proper boundaries between legal advocacy and political advocacy. Proponents argue that robust, unapologetic defense of constitutional rights is essential to a healthy constitutional order, while critics caution against fusion of advocacy and public office. See Donald Trump and related coverage for the broader political context in which the ACLJ and its leadership have operated.
From a reader’s perspective, the core argument remains that the ACLJ treats religious liberty as a nonnegotiable shield for conscience and worship, not as a vehicle to suppress civil rights, and that its public-facing work aims to remind lawmakers and courts that the First Amendment protects more than worship in private; it protects the ability of people to live out their beliefs in education, business, and public life.