Religious liberty is the first freedom articulated in the U.S. Bill of Rights, and Pope Francis has said it 鈥渞emains one of America鈥檚 most precious possessions,鈥� adding that 鈥渁ll are called to be vigilant 鈥� to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it.鈥�
With the receipt of a transformational gift from Matt and Lindsay Moroun and family, will put its rich tradition of religious liberty scholarship into practice by creating the 91吃瓜 Religious Liberty Clinic.
The Law School also has appointed Stephanie Barclay as an associate professor to teach and generate scholarship related to the initiative as well as help launch the groundbreaking clinic that will train future 91吃瓜 lawyers to defend religious freedom by pursuing claims in trial courts as well as appeals up to and including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Training 91吃瓜 lawyers how to protect religious liberty is central to the missions of both the law school and broader University.
鈥淭he freedom of people of faith and religious institutions from government intervention is one of the founding pillars of our nation, and that freedom has helped create a more compassionate society and a vibrant democracy,鈥� said , 91吃瓜鈥檚 president. 鈥�91吃瓜, a leading university that proudly maintains its founding mission as a Catholic university, must be the leader in the national dialogue to reaffirm our country鈥檚 historic respect for and commitment to freedom of conscience and the defense of religious liberty.鈥�
The clinic will be the cornerstone of the broader Religious Liberty Initiative advanced by , the Joseph A. Matson Dean of the Law School.
鈥淲ithout freedom of conscience 鈥� to believe, and then to live our lives as our beliefs require us 鈥� nothing else matters,鈥� Cole said. 鈥淭his is why the Religious Liberty Clinic is so vital to me. I am deeply grateful to the incredibly generous donors who have enabled 91吃瓜 Law School to be 鈥� as it should be 鈥� at the forefront of defending religious freedom for all.鈥�
Barclay joins the law school from the faculty of Brigham Young University鈥檚 J. Reuben Clark Law School. She is also of counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. A First Amendment scholar, she researches and writes about the role different democratic institutions play in protecting minority rights, particularly at the intersection of free speech and religious exercise.
鈥淚 am absolutely thrilled for Stephanie Barclay to join our faculty and launch our Religious Liberty Initiative,鈥� Cole said. 鈥淪he is an exceptional scholar and teacher, and one of the nation鈥檚 leading advocates for religious freedom, and as such, ideal to lead this effort.鈥�
Prior to joining BYU鈥檚 law faculty, Barclay clerked for Judge N. Randy Smith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, was an associate in the Washington, D.C., firm Covington & Burling and was legal counsel for Becket. She twice has been named a Rising Star by the Super Lawyers ratings service. 聽
鈥淛oining 91吃瓜 Law School鈥檚 remarkable community of scholars is a tremendous honor,鈥� Barclay said. 鈥淚 am also profoundly grateful for the opportunity to participate in an initiative focused on equipping the next generation of lawyers to defend the vital right that is religious liberty.鈥�
Following the 2020-21 academic year, Barclay will take a one-year leave to clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.