Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act Claims
Strategies for Local Governments to Avoid or Defend RLUIPA Actions
Recording of a 90-minute CLE webinar with Q&A
This CLE course will offer practical guidance for counsel advising local governments on ways to avoid Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act claims. The panel will explain approaches to defend against RLUIPA suits once a claim has been filed.
Outline
- Origins of RLUIPA
- RLUIPA basic provisions
- A decade of litigation
- Principal claims
- Outcomes
- Interpretation and application of RLUIPA
- Strategies for avoiding/addressing RLUIPA claims
- Defending against RLUIPA claims
Benefits
The panel will review these and other key questions:
- What types of claims are being raised in RLUIPA litigation and how have the courts responded?
- What steps can local governments take to avoid RLUIPA challenges?
- What strategies have been effective for municipalities in defending RLUIPA claims?
Following the speaker presentations, you'll have an opportunity to get answers to your specific questions during the interactive Q&A.
Faculty
Dwight H. Merriam
Partner
Robinson & Cole
He represents local governments, developers, landowners, and advocacy groups in land development and conservation... | Read More
He represents local governments, developers, landowners, and advocacy groups in land development and conservation issues. He has defended and advised numerous local governments in RLUIPA claims. He has published over 200 professional articles, including several on RLUIPA defense, and eight books on land use law.
CloseHiram B. Carey, III
Partner
Robinson & Cole
He has defended numerous municipalities and governmental agencies across the country in complex cases involving... | Read More
He has defended numerous municipalities and governmental agencies across the country in complex cases involving challenges to land use controls based on claims of constitutional and RLUIPA violations, including Boulder County, CO (RLUIPA and constitutional), Honolulu, HI (constitutional), Biloxi, MS (constitutional), and Pomona, NY (RLUIPA and constitutional) among others.
CloseWilliam J. Kelleher, III
Partner
Robinson & Cole
He has defended and litigated complex cases in courts and jurisdictions throughout the country. He currently... | Read More
He has defended and litigated complex cases in courts and jurisdictions throughout the country. He currently represents the Village of Pomona, New York and Village officials in a major RLUIPA action in the Southern District of New York involving land use-related claims brought by a religious college that desires to build and locate a large campus in the Village.
CloseJohn R. Bauer
Counsel
Robinson & Cole
He has litigated and tried complex cases in courts throughout the country. He has represented local governments,... | Read More
He has litigated and tried complex cases in courts throughout the country. He has represented local governments, including Boulder County, defending constitutional claims and claims brought under RLUIPA. Prior to entering Harvard Law School, he was a college professor for almost ten years, teaching courses on American politics and political theory.
CloseKarla L. Chaffee
Atty
Robinson & Cole
As part of the firm's LandLaw Section, she focuses her practice on environmental and land use matters. She... | Read More
As part of the firm's LandLaw Section, she focuses her practice on environmental and land use matters. She co-authored, with Dwight H. Merriam, a leading article on the RLUIPA “Substantial Burden” analysis and has also published on the topic through the American Bar Association.
CloseEvan J. Seeman
Atty
Robinson & Cole
He represents local governments, developers, landowners and advocacy groups in land use and zoning matters. Most... | Read More
He represents local governments, developers, landowners and advocacy groups in land use and zoning matters. Most recently, he was a lead author of an amicus curiae brief at the petition stage before the United States Supreme Court in a RLUIPA case entitled City of San Leandro v. International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.
CloseMarci A. Hamilton
Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University
She is a leading church/state scholar. She was lead counsel for Boerne, Texas, before the US Supreme Court in its... | Read More
She is a leading church/state scholar. She was lead counsel for Boerne, Texas, before the US Supreme Court in its seminal federalism and church/state case holding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act unconstitutional. She represents cities and neighborhoods in RLUIPA cases.
Close