American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon

Oregon State Bar Religious Discrimination

In March, 2005, the Alliance Defense Fund sponsored a one-day Regional Litigation Academy for Oregon attorneys and pastors interested in learning about First Amendment law. ADF applied for and received authorization from the Oregon State Bar to offer Continuing Legal Education credit for attorneys who attended. All attorneys licensed to practice law in Oregon are required by the state Bar to complete hours of mandatory continuing education classes within a set time-frame.
What the Bar did not know at the time it authorized the CLE credit, and what the ACLU was surprised to learn, was that a prerequisite for attending the ADF's Regional Litigation Academy required interested participants to sign and affirm the following statement: “I understand that my attendance at this Regional Litigation Academy is expressly conditioned upon my personal affirmation of the Trinitarian Christian Faith, summarily expressed as set forth below in the historic Apostle’s creed..."

The ACLU of Oregon learned of this requirement from an attorney who received a personalized invitation to attend the litigation academy. Yet, he was informed that his registration was not complete because he had not signed the required affirmation of his belief in the Trinitarian Christian faith. When he questioned the necessity of this requirement, because he is Jewish, he was rebuffed.

The ACLU of Oregon's complaint to the Bar does not take issue with ADF's right to hold a seminar that has a religious test for attendance. ACLU's complaint is that the Bar should not provide mandatory CLE credit for activities that discriminate on the basis of religion or any other recognized classification. It may take a few months to resolve this issue with the Bar.