Civil Rights › Nonprofit Law

Red Notices and Russia - Why the raid on Amnesty International's offices matters

The offices of Amnesty International in Russia were recently raided as part of an "audit," as reported in the New York Times by David Herszenhorn and Andrew Roth, here. Amnesty International is a leading non-governmental...more

Massachusetts Governor Patrick Signs Law Mandating Fingerprint-Based Background Check

On January 10, 2013, Governor Patrick signed “An Act Relative to Background Checks” (H.4307) into law. This law implements a wide reaching requirement for mandatory state and national fingerprint-based criminal background...more

Rekabet Için Sürdürülebilirlik - Mersin Siyaset 23.1.2012

Rekabe Için Sürdürülebilirlik - Mersin Siyaset http://www.mersinsiyaset.net/haber/Rekabet-icin-surdururebilirlik--5378 Rotary 2420. Bölge’nin, Birlesmis Milletler Kalkinma Programi (UNDP) ile is birligi içinde yürüttügü...more

Religious Institutions Update: November 2012

Nearly everyone uses social media these days, from Facebook and LinkedIn to YouTube and Twitter. Employers have learned that social media can be a valuable recruiting device, enabling them to identify candidates with the...more

Washington Rejects Clergy Negligent Supervision/Retention Claims in Church Quarrel

The Supreme Court of Washington recently limited negligent supervision and negligent retention claims against churches, based on the First Amendment and deference to religious tribunals. Title VII claims may also be limited,...more

Good News in the Schoolhouse

In Child Evangelism Fellowship v. Minneapolis Special School Dist. No. 1, the Eighth Circuit recently provided guidance on how religious community organizations may partner with school districts and on the interaction between...more

Monitoring Spiritual and Mental Health for Religious Workers Without Violating the ADA

Religious organizations may have particular spiritual and safety concerns around mental health issues for their workers. A recent holding that requiring employees to get mental health counseling is likely a violation of the...more

“Holder of a Religious Office” Exemption under Ontario ESA Interpreted

The Ontario Employment Standards Act excludes from its protection holders of a “religious office”. The Ontario Labour Relations Board has issued a decision interpreting this rarely-litigated provision....more

Religious Institutions: September 2012 Update

A corporation is an artificial or fictional person, ordinarily distinct from both its individual members or shareholders and its subsidiaries and affiliates, even when owned by just one person. A key reason many organizations...more

Reprise of the Hosanna-Tabor Facts and Principles

A recent case is an eerie factual copycat of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC, an employment law case in a church and school that applied the constitutional ministerial exception doctrine....more

Cases Seek "Legal Personhood" for Animals

Published on the National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education (CLE) website as an installment in Michael Kaiser's Animal-Law blog. http://cleblog.nbi-sems.com/2012/07/legal-personhood-for-animals/ ...more

Is That Really a Service Animal?

Published on the National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education (CLE) website as an installment in Michael Kaiser's Animal-Law blog. http://cleblog.nbi-sems.com/2012/01/the-law-and-service-animals/...more

United States Eases Sanctions on Financing for Development Organizations in Burma

On April 17, the U.S. Treasury issued new General License No. 14-C, which relaxes sanctions on financial services with respect to certain humanitarian and not-for-profit activities in Burma. This License allows...more

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus v. University of Colorado

Opinion

The Students for Concealed Carry on Campus filed a complaint against the University of Colorado’s Board of Regents and others alleging that the Board’s Weapons Control Policy violated the Colorado Concealed Carry...more

How Nonprofits Can Avoid the Legal Pitfalls of Telecommuting Employees

As technology for the home office improves, more nonprofits and employees are taking advantage of the benefits of telecommuting.  Laptops are lighter, faster, and more portable.  Smartphones, iPads, and other e-readers...more

OBLIGATION IGNORED: WHY INTERNATIONAL LAW REQUIRES THE UNITED STATES TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE CIVIL LEGAL AID, WHAT THE UNITED STATES...

Exploring international legal obligations to provide civil legal aid, assessing U.S. compliance, and suggesting improved civil legal aid through the use of Legal Empowerment techniques that have been successful in other...more

Johnson v. Whitehead, et. al

Petitioner's Reply to Respondent's Opposition to Certiorari

Petitioner's reply to the Solicitor General's Opposition to Certiorari. The Solicitor General challenged Petitioner's claim regarding the unconstitutionality of former 8 U.S.C. §1432 (a statute that discriminates based on...more

Citizens Right to Arrest an Offender

Ordinary Citizen's right to arrest and Offender in India is a provision that is similar to what is commonly referred to as "Citizen's Arrest" in several countries. In England/Wales it is called "Any Person Arrest". In India,...more

Status of Euthanasia in India

Euthanasia is a hotly debated subject with very strong and passionate views from those who swear by it, and those who find it extremely demeaning to modern society. This article from our November Issue of the magazine...more

Johnson v. Whitehead, et. al

Equal Protection challenge to Citizenship Law w/ Classifications based on Illegitimacy & Sex

Today, the UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic at American University Washington College of Law filed a petition for Writ of Certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court challenging, on Equal Protection grounds, a federal...more

Location, Location, Location: Managing Land Use Challenges for Synagogues (Mishpacha Magazine)

From Mishpacha, the Jewish Family Weekly: Managing land use issues for synagogues (contains some non-English-language content)...more

Johnston v. Carnegie Corporation of New York: How Strong Are Your Nonprofit’s Severance Agreements?

Nonprofits often feel like Davids in a world of Goliaths. Struggling with tight budgets and lean staffs, the last thing they want to add to their basket of worries is a complex regime of human resource policies. Often,...more

Why Lawyers Give Back

LexisNexis (www.lexisnexis.com) and Pro Bono Net (www.probono.net) have released a study indicating that pro bono work is heavily ingrained in the legal profession, and is driven primarily by a sense of personal commitment on...more

Court Rules in Support of Religious Selection in Employment Decisions

On August 23, 2010, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit handed down a noteworthy ruling for any organization using religious criteria in making employment decisions. In this ruling, the court upheld the...more

Implications of the CLS v. Martinez Supreme Court Decision

In CLS v. Martinez, the Hastings College of Law sought to impose a nondiscrimination policy that required all student organizations to accept as members and officers any student who attended the law school, even if that...more