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.
Dalton & Tomich, PLC has been retained by the Three Hundred and Forty Two (342) parents of students who attend Tree of Life Christian School in Upper Arlington, Ohio to file an Amicus brief in support of the school’s request to have the United States […]
Read MoreOn January 17, 2019, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Dalton Tomich client, the Church of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in its suit against Markham, Illinois. The suit raises several claims under the Religious Land Use Institutionalized Persons Act, […]
Read MoreIn May, the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (“NIFLA”) will be hosting its annual legal summit. NIFLA has asked Dalton & Tomich attorney Noel Sterett to present on how the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”) can help pregnancy care ministries […]
Read MoreAlthough RLUIPA is mainly concerned with religious discrimination, racial animus towards a religious organization falls within the ambit of RLUIPA’s very broad protection. On February 7, 2019, the Fourth Circuit, citing the legislative history of RLUIPA, emphasized that “zoning board members or neighborhood residents explicitly offer race or […]
Read MoreYesterday, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Dalton Tomich client, the Church of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in its suit against Markham, Illinois. Honorable Judges Easterbrook, Flaum, and Brennan all agreed that the district court was wrong to reject […]
Read MoreYesterday, the Supreme Court took the unusual step of having a second round of oral arguments in the case of Knick v. Scott Township. As we wrote in October 2018, the property owner in the Knick case has asked the Court to overrule its 1985 decision in Williamson County […]
Read MoreZoning is often used as a tool to protect the haves from the have-nots. The haves are those who already have homes, schools, and places of worship in a community. The have-nots are those who come to a community in search of those things. Even […]
Read MoreOne of the best compliments an attorney can have is when an opposing party hires the attorney who sued them in a subsequent case to defend its interest or pursue a claim. This happened to our firm when Dalton & Tomich, PLC was hired […]
Read MoreBerman Prize winner and Wayne State University Law School Professor of the Year will help the Dalton & Tomich, PLC team guide religious organizations through denominational property disputes, land use and zoning cases Christopher C. Lund DETROIT – Award-winning scholar, author and professor Christopher C. […]
Read MoreAs explained more thoroughly in “Litigating Religious Land Use Cases,” RLUIPA contains five claims under its broad statutory umbrella. And while each claim has distinct and separate elements, allclaims start with: “No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation. . . .”[1]RLUIPA’s text […]
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 […]
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