How We Support Faith-Based Institutions

Jackson Kelly advises and represents faith-based organizations in matters including:

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

• Defense of defamation claims
• Defense of civil claims
• Internal governance disputes
• Risk management and pre-litigation strategy

Church Autonomy & Constitutional Matters

• Matters involving the church autonomy doctrine
• Disputes between local congregations and denominational bodies
• Representation in cases involving internal decision-making authority
• First Amendment considerations affecting litigation

Property & Ownership Disputes

• Church property ownership conflicts
• Intra-congregation disputes
• Title and control issues involving religious property
• Resolution of competing governance claims

Labor & Employment

• Employment-related disputes involving religious institutions
• Workforce policies and compliance considerations
• Employee relations and internal investigations
• Defense of employment claims
• Religious accommodation issues, including vaccine exemption requests
• Guidance on handling vaccine refusal and accommodation claims
• Defense of discrimination and wrongful termination claims tied to accommodation requests

Representative Experience

• Defended religious institutions in defamation and civil tort actions involving allegations of reputational harm and misconduct
• Represented organizations in litigation involving the church autonomy doctrine, securing favorable outcomes based on constitutional protections
• Handled disputes between local congregations and denominational bodies involving governance, authority, and control of church operations
• Represented clients in church property disputes arising from congregational separation and competing ownership claims
• Defended religious organizations against sexual tort and related civil claims
• Advised and defended faith-based employers in employment litigation, including discrimination, wrongful termination, and retaliation claims