On October 7th, Kate Falkenstien ‘15 and Religious Liberty Clinic Director James Sonne attended the Supreme Court’s much-anticipated oral argument in Holt v. Hobbs, (13-6827). The case concerns a Muslim prisoner’s right under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) to grow a beard in accordance with his religious convictions.

During the 2014 spring quarter, Kate and Gabe Schlabach ‘14 wrote an amicus brief in support of the petitioner, Gregory Houston Holt, and on behalf of Women’s Prison Association – the nation’s oldest advocacy group for women. The brief stresses that any test for religious accommodation adopted in Mr. Holt’s case should also account for female inmates’ religious practices; for example the right to preserve long hair for Sikh women and religious head coverings for orthodox Jewish and Muslim women.

Arguing before the Supreme Court for the petitioner was Professor Douglas Laycock of the University of Virginia; Professor Laycock was the keynote speaker at the Religious Liberty Clinic’s launch event in 2013.

A decision in Holt v. Hobbs is expected in early 2015.   ◊