Churches and other religious institutions are protected from discrimination by municipalities and other local government bodies by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, better known as RLUIPA. This blog by the national leaders in religious land use and zoning law highlights RLUIPA case studies and includes commentary on related news for church leaders and others throughout the country, as well as explanations of components of the RLUIPA law.
Litigation specialist Alexander Reuter joins team that has successfully represented congregations across the country in cases under Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) Alexander Reuter DETROIT (May 6, 2019) – Dalton & Tomich, PLC today announced attorney Alexander Reuter has joined the firm’s […]
Read MoreWe are pleased to announce that attorney Larry Opalewski has been selected as a 2019 Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine in the area of general litigation. This honor signifies excellence in the practice of law and is awarded to no more than 2.5% of […]
Read MoreAs its name suggests, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”), 42 U.S.C. 2000cc et seq., governs how religious land uses may be regulated. Therefore, a threshold question for every type of claim under RLUIPA is whether a land use regulation is even […]
Read MoreThe United States Supreme Court may be poised to reconsider or even overrule one of its landmark free exercise cases–Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990). A more recent case out of Oregon, Klein v. Oregon Bureau of […]
Read MoreThis morning the Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in support of Dalton & Tomich client Hope Lutheran Church in its religious land use case against St. Ignace, Michigan. The Department of Justice files statements of interest when it determines that a case […]
Read MoreToday, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision upholding the constitutionality of the clergy housing allowance. Rather than wait until to see if the Supreme Court would clarify its currently jumbled Establishment Clause jurisprudence (as we recently speculated they might), the Seventh Circuit ruled […]
Read MoreRecently, Church Law & Tax, a publication which helps church leaders stay up-to-date on legal and tax matters, asked Dalton & Tomich attorney Noel Sterett to comment on the status of the case challenging the constitutionality of the clergy housing allowance. In an article which can […]
Read MoreDan Dalton will be presenting a session on the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (commonly known as RLUIPA) at the 33rd Annual Land Use Institute in Baltimore, Maryland on Friday April 12, 2019. If you are a land use attorney attending the conference, or […]
Read MoreIt was my honor to return to Carlinville, Illinois on Sunday, February 24, 2019 to worship at The Cross Church. A decade ago, we worked with the Church and resolved a case allowing it to develop a former Walmart Store into a Church. The once […]
Read MoreDaniel Dalton will be presenting a session at the American Planning Association annual conference in San Francisco, California on April 15, 2019 on litigating Religious Land Use cases under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, commonly known as RLUIPA. If you are one […]
Read MoreIn 2015, Hope Rising Community Church experienced extreme opposition, the kind that would force it to close its doors and leave behind the families and youth it was so passionate about reaching. As the lead pastor I felt helpless, inferior and as if I had no […]
Read MoreDalton & Tomich’s assistance in our RLUIPA matter has paved the way for our church to continue serving the community and for new churches in the area to thrive in the future. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your stand for religious […]
Read MoreThe Urban Church will be forever grateful to Dalton & Tomich plc for navigating it through a difficult land use issue. Let them give you honest and caring advice because that’s exactly what they’ll do.
Read MoreDalton & Tomich, PLC defended a complicated case at a church we insure. Not only is the firm professional, they understand how church business runs and work well within church leadership.
Read MoreDalton & Tomich, PLC helped us immensely in the areas of litigation and negotiation! Their professionalism and understanding of church policy helped our church be victorious in a modern day religious land use battle. RLUIPA Religious Land Use Case: Lighthouse Community Church of God
Read MoreDalton & Tomich, PLC serves as General Counsel for the 144 churches within the Church of God in Michigan. The firm provides the legal expertise we need in dealing with the issues that arise during the course of fulfilling our ministry.
Read MoreI met Dan Dalton during a dark time for our church. He was recommended as the leading RLUIPA attorney in the nation. He demonstrated wisdom, expertise, a gentle nature, a calming inter-relational skill, genuineness, and a humble demeanor, while at the same time, being sharp, […]
Read MoreMr. Dalton’s expertise and experience helped us through a very difficult legal journey, ultimately achieving a favorable outcome. His personal interest in helping our church went “above and beyond” just the call of duty. His understanding of both legal and spiritual matters seems to uniquely […]
Read More