How America’s Best Attorneys Are Winning the War for

Religious Freedom in America

STRATEGY FOR VICTORY

Their goal is a new secular America where religious freedom—and thus religious influence—is removed.

A sample of top religious discriminators includes:

The threat is grave. If Government prohibits the right to freely acknowledge

God, then Government replaces God and can remove any “rights” at its will.

We have won at all court levels, against all opposition. We have won before the U.S. Supreme Court and numerous federal and state courts. We have dominated the ACLU and similar opponents. Our victories spring from our unique strategy:

Home Field AdvantageOur national network of top local and specialist attorneys “know the local territory” and how to win, wherever in America the case is litigated—no matter the specialized area of law.

The “Best of the Best” National LitigatorsOur network features only America’s best attorneys. They come from 24 of the top 50 firms nationally. Many charge up to $1,000 per hour, yet they take religious liberty cases pro bono (free of charge).

Multiplied Impact of Every DollarFor every $10,000 we spend on a case, we receive $60,000 in pro bono (free) legal time by our elite attorneys across the nation.

“The ACLU fears Liberty Institute. And for good reason.”

— Gov. Mike Huckabee

ACLU ($120 million)Suing to tear down the historic Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Cross and eliminate other religious speech across America.

Freedom From Religion Foundation ($3 million and growing)

Creates a climate of fear and persecution by sending more than 1,000 lawsuit threats per year to school districts, towns, and counties.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State ($6 million)

Aggressively uses courts to attack religious speech in schools, and is suing to tear down veterans memorials with religious imagery.

American Humanist Association ($2.1 million)Suing to tear down historic WWI Veterans Memorial with cross near Washington, D.C., and to eliminate “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. Harasses towns over nativity scenes and public prayers to drive religious presence out of the public arena.

American Atheists ($900,000)Sues to remove Ten Commandments monuments on public property, remove church tax exemptions, and has sued to tear down the 9/11 steel girder “Miracle Cross” at Ground Zero in New York City.

In addition—institutions within our federal government like the IRS, Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, the White House, state and city governments, school districts, and even large corporations are also violating lawful religious freedoms.

Liberty Institute wins. We are the largest legal organization solely dedicated to defending and restoring religious liberty in America.

against foes such as the ACLU and government agencies.

We have over a

90% win rate

The Crisis: Powerful Organizations Are Spending Millions to Destroy Religious Liberty

Liberty Institute WINS CASES That Save Religious FreedomThe Response:

The opponents of religious freedom have a combined financial war chest of over $125 million dollars.

Yet Liberty Institute has more than a 90% win rate against them.

A climax is building. Even with our winning formula, Liberty Institute needs more funds—

unleashing more attorneys for more cases.

Our Formula: The Winning Power of Multiplication

We Face HistoricLegal FightsThe Financial Need:

“You have chosen to devote yourself to the defense of not only religious liberty but the

family and righteousness in the culture, and you are a hero of mine.” — Dr. James Dobson

For every $10,000 we spend on a case, our clients receive $60,000 in donated premium legal work to defeat attacks on religious liberty—often setting precedents that affect millions of Americans!

$10,000 $60,000

1 lawyer 20 lawyersEach Liberty Institute staff attorney—a top lawyer in their field—can coordinate 20

“best of the best” attorneys across the nation.

For Active and Retired MilitaryThe ACLU is suing to tear down the historic Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Cross. Liberty Institute is leading the defense. The case will likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court. Anti-faith organizations are suing to tear down other veterans memorials with religious imagery. Preserving these is crucial to preventing attempts to remove similar monuments in Arlington National Cemetery and other U.S. military cemeteries such as in Normandy, France Legal action and counsel against religious discrimination in the military is leading to key government decisions that could either restore or attack the religious freedom of service personnel.

For SchoolsPursuing a potentially landmark national precedent for the right of students anywhere to express their faith at graduation—and in other school settings.

Using court victories to inform and empower at least 6 million students to know and defend their religious rights.

For Churches and MinistriesSuing the Obama Administration to stop efforts to force non-profit ministries to violate their faith by helping provide abortion-inducing drugs. We are representing clients nationwide, suing to save their religious freedom.

Expanding our recent victory to stop cities from discriminating against churches.

In the Public Arena and MarketplaceLegal action against corporation and government bodies who illegally fired employees for private expressions of faith.

Defending cities and schools under attack for religious expression such as nativity scenes, religious symbols, public prayer, and more.

“Kelly Shackelford has done more to defend your religious freedom—and

mine—than anyone I know.” — Sen. Rick Santorum

■ ACLU attempts to tear down veterans memorial crosses

■ Atheist attempts to ban “God” from graduation speeches

■ Federal attempts to ban “God” at military funerals

■ ACLU attempts to tear down Ten Commandments monuments

■ School attempts to halt prayer and Bible reading

■ City attempts to ban or restrict churches

Victories include STOPPING:

Case Reviews

The ACLU and a federal judge covered and padlocked this veterans memorial cross. Liberty Institute won a U.S. Supreme Court decision to uncover and save the memorial.

Senior Master Sergeant Phillip Monk, a 19-year Air Force combat veteran, was abruptly relieved of duty because of his religious views on marriage. Liberty Institute defended Monk. Instead of being court-martialed and dishonorably discharged, he was given a medal and retired with full honors. He defied religious discrimination and was protected—encouraging others in a nationally prominent case.

Brooks Hamby—salutatorian of his high school class—was unlawfully ordered by his school to take God out of the draft of his graduation speech. Brooks defied the school, and with Liberty Institute strategizing his ongoing legal case, his courage could stop censorship nationwide.

Kelly Shackelford, Esq., President and CEOKelly Shackelford, Esq., has been president and CEO of Liberty Institute since 1997.

He is a constitutional scholar who has argued before the United States Supreme Court,

testified before the U.S. House and Senate on constitutional issues, and has won three

landmark First Amendment and religious liberty cases in the past few years alone. He was

recently named one of the 25 greatest Texas lawyers of the past quarter-century by Texas

Lawyer, and is the recipient of the prestigious William Bentley Ball Award for Life and

Religious Freedom Defense for his leadership and pioneering work protecting religious

freedom. He is on the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society.

Jeff Mateer, Esq., General CounselJeff Mateer, Esq., joined Liberty Institute in 2010 after 19 years in private litigation practice. He

now oversees and directs Liberty Institute’s legal team. He specializes in religious liberty matters,

including free exercise, free speech, RLUIPA and public acknowledgment of religion cases.

Mr. Mateer has been honored as a Texas Rising Star and Texas Super Lawyer. He received his

undergraduate education at Dickinson College, where he graduated with honors in 1987, and his

legal education at Southern Methodist University, where he graduated with honors in 1990.

Hiram Sasser, Esq., Director of LitigationThe practice of Hiram Sasser, Esq., focuses on First Amendment and other constitutional and

civil rights issues. He successfully argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit,

the Texas Supreme Court and numerous other state appellate, state district and federal district

courts. Mr. Sasser graduated summa cum laude from Oklahoma City University School of Law.

His military service includes serving as Headquarters Commander, a Company Executive

Officer and Training Officer in the United States Army Reserves.

Matthew Kacsmaryk, Esq., Deputy General Counsel Matthew Kacsmaryk, Esq., served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District

of Texas from 2008 through 2013. Assigned to the Appellate Division, he represented the United

States government in over 75 criminal appeals filed in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, including

several cases of first impression and numerous cases requiring oral argument. In October 2013,

he was awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S.

National Security. Prior to his work as a prosecutor, Mr. Kacsmaryk was an associate at the Dallas

office of Baker Botts L.L.P. Mr. Kacsmaryk received his J.D. from the University of Texas, graduating

with honors. Mr. Kacsmaryk received his B.A. summa cum laude from Abilene Christian University.

Mike Berry, Esq., Senior Counsel and Director of Military Affairs Mike Berry, Esq., joined Liberty Institute in 2013 after serving for seven years as an attorney

with the U.S. Marine Corps, where he argued numerous cases before various federal appeals

courts and traveled across the country to teach appellate advocacy to junior attorneys. He

attended law school at The Ohio State University, graduating in 2005. Mr. Berry is admitted

to practice law in the State of Michigan, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the

Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals.

Roger Byron, Esq., Senior CounselRoger Byron, Esq., serves as a litigation attorney for Liberty Institute. Mr. Byron has extensive

experience in the constitutional arena including the freedom of speech, freedom of religion,

equal access, religious land use and church autonomy, among other matters. His First

Amendment clients have included organizations, individuals, churches, students and

government officials and entities. Mr. Byron graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and

graduated magna cum laude from Regent University School of Law where he served as

articles editor of the law review.

Justin Butterfield, Esq., Senior Counsel and Director of Research and EducationJustin Butterfield, Esq., graduated from Harvard Law School in 2007. He served as the student

coordinator for the well-known Veritas Forum, was a member of the Federalist Society, and was

heavily involved with the Harvard Law School Christian Fellowship. A native Texan, Mr. Butterfield

completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at El Paso where he graduated

summa cum laude, with honors, and University Banner Bearer with a bachelor’s degree in

Electrical Engineering.

Jeremy G. Dys, Esq., Senior CounselJeremy G. Dys, Esq., joined Liberty Institute in 2013 after six years of serving as president

and general counsel of the Family Policy Council of West Virginia. Mr. Dys graduated from

Taylor University, cum laude, and interned with the Marriage Law Project of the Ethics and

Public Policy Center. At West Virginia University College of Law, Mr. Dys earned his Doctor in

Jurisprudence in 2005. He was admitted to the Bars of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West

Virginia and the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. For the

past six years, Mr. Dys has been providing leadership in advocacy on the issues of life, marriage,

and religious freedom.

Cleve Doty, Esq., CounselCleve Doty, Esq., was an associate at the Austin office of Baker Botts L.L.P. where he focused

on complex commercial and appellate litigation, representing national, regional, and local clients.

Mr. Doty has represented both private and public clients in appeals at all levels of state and

federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He graduated from the University of Chicago

Law School, where he was President of the Federalist Society and co-chair of the Hinton Moot

Court Board. He also received the Thomas R. Mulroy prize for excellence in appellate advocacy

among other honors. Mr. Doty completed his undergraduate studies at Yale University.

Our National St aff Legal Team

“Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of God under law is acknowledged.”

— President Ronald Reagan

2001 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 1600 Plano, Texas 75075 Phone: 972.941.4444 • Fax: 972.423.6162

Email: info@libertyinstitute.org

www.LibertyInstitute.org