American Center for Law & Justice

The American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) is a United States-based conservative Christian legal advocacy organization. Founded in 1990 by evangelical minister and law-school graduate Pat Robertson, it was established with a stated mission of defending religious freedom and constitutional rights. The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has an institutional association with Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the university founded by Robertson. ACLJ presents itself as a public-interest legal organization focused on what it describes as universal, God-given, and inalienable rights. Its work has generally concentrated on constitutional litigation, religious-liberty disputes, freedom-of-speech questions, human-rights advocacy, and selected international legal matters. The group commonly advances conservative Christian interpretations of the First Amendment and other constitutional provisions. Its work therefore overlaps with politics and public policy, although its principal public vehicle is legal advocacy rather than electoral campaigning. The organization was conceived in part as a right-leaning counterpart to the American Civil Liberties Union. The two groups use different approaches to the relationship between religion and government: ACLJ typically argues for robust legal protection of public religious expression, prayer, and faith-based participation in public life, while critics say that this approach can weaken the separation of church and state. ACLJ attorneys and representatives have participated in court cases, administrative proceedings, congressional and public debates, media appearances, and international forums. ACLJ has received attention for interventions in disputes involving public-school prayer, religious expression, abortion, Islamic law, mosque and Islamic cultural-center development, and the treatment of Christians abroad. Its international strategy expanded through affiliated organizations, including the European Center for Law and Justice, established in Strasbourg in 1997, and the Slavic Center for Law and Justice, established in Moscow in 1998. The European organization has worked in institutions including the United Nations and the Council of Europe and has represented Christian interests in proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights. The organization has also taken positions in African legal and social-policy debates. These activities have included support for conservative Christian approaches to questions involving sexuality and family law, including advocacy related to legislation affecting LGBT people in Uganda. Such positions have made ACLJ a subject of criticism from civil-rights, LGBT-rights, and secular organizations. ACLJ's public profile increased during the Trump administration. Its chief counsel, Jay Sekulow, served as a personal attorney to President Donald Trump in 2018 while also being associated with ACLJ. Sekulow was additionally involved in the legal defense of Andrew Brunson, an American Christian pastor detained in Turkey. ACLJ has also been listed as a member of the advisory board of Project 2025, a conservative policy initiative coordinated by the Heritage Foundation. The organization has faced scrutiny over governance, related-party transactions, and the transparency of payments involving Sekulow, his family, and affiliated businesses. Critics have argued that the charity's financial disclosures make it difficult to determine the full scale of compensation and related-party benefits. Charity Navigator issued differing levels of concern for ACLJ entities in Washington, D.C., and Virginia Beach after reporting on the organization's finances. Despite these criticisms, ACLJ remains active as a litigation, communications, and policy-advocacy organization serving conservative Christian constituencies in the United States and internationally.

The American Center for Law & Justice was founded in 1990 by Pat Robertson, an evangelical minister and law-school graduate who also founded Regent University. Robertson established the organization as a legal vehicle for defending religious and constitutional freedoms from a conservative Christian perspective. The organization's name and acronym were deliberately formed in contrast to the American Civil Liberties Union, reflecting a different interpretation of the First Amendment and the relationship between religious expression and government. From its beginning, ACLJ combined litigation with public advocacy. It pursued constitutional questions involving prayer in public schools, religious speech, abortion, and the rights of Christian groups in public institutions. Its attorneys also appeared in public debates and media forums to present arguments on constitutional and legal policy issues. The organization became one of the most visible conservative Christian legal groups in the United States. ACLJ developed an international dimension during the 1990s. In 1997, Jay Sekulow and Thomas Patrick Monaghan helped establish the European Center for Law and Justice in Strasbourg. The European center became involved with the United Nations and the Council of Europe and represented Christian interests in European human-rights proceedings. In 1998, ACLJ established the Slavic Center for Law and Justice in Moscow. These affiliates formed part of an international strategy focused on religious rights and Christian legal advocacy. The organization subsequently became involved in several contentious international and domestic controversies. It campaigned against proposed constitutional changes in Kenya, claiming that the changes could authorize abortion and Islamic law. In the United States, it opposed plans for an Islamic cultural center near the former World Trade Center site and sought to influence the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. In November 2010, it asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate prayer meetings held by the Congressional Muslim Staffer Association, asserting that some invited speakers had extremist or terrorism-related connections. ACLJ also expanded its policy activity in Africa. It has been described as one of several American Christian organizations promoting conservative Christian legislation and social policies on the continent. Its activities and positions concerning LGBT rights, including support for measures in Uganda that would criminalize homosexuality, generated criticism from human-rights advocates. During the Trump administration, ACLJ chief counsel Jay Sekulow became a personal attorney to President Donald Trump in 2018. Sekulow was also involved in the legal representation of Andrew Brunson, an American pastor detained and prosecuted in Turkey. These roles connected ACLJ's senior legal leadership to major national and international political controversies. ACLJ has also participated in the broader conservative policy network through its membership on the advisory board of Project 2025. Financial governance became another important part of the organization's public history. Since 2011, donations associated with ACLJ have been routed through Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, a Sekulow family-run organization. Reporting based on tax returns described payments to Jay Sekulow, relatives, and businesses connected with them, including payments to Constitutional Litigation and Advocacy Group. Critics argued that the structure obscured the total compensation and related-party benefits received by the Sekulow family. The Human Rights Campaign criticized ACLJ's financial transparency and charity-accountability record, while Charity Navigator issued low- or moderate-concern advisories for different ACLJ entities after reporting by The Washington Post. ACLJ remains active in constitutional litigation, religious-liberty advocacy, public communications, and international human-rights work.

• 2018

  Chief counsel joins Trump's personal legal team

  [1]American Center for Law & Justiceen.wikipedia.org

  Jay Sekulow, ACLJ's chief counsel, serves on Donald Trump's personal legal team while also representing Andrew Brunson in Turkey-related proceedings.

• 2010

  Justice Department inquiry requested over congressional Muslim prayer sessions

  [1]American Center for Law & Justiceen.wikipedia.org

  ACLJ asks the Justice Department to investigate weekly prayer meetings held by a congressional Muslim staff organization.

• 1998

  Slavic Center for Law and Justice is established

  [1]American Center for Law & Justiceen.wikipedia.org

  ACLJ establishes a Moscow-based affiliate focused on religious-rights legal work in Slavic and wider regional contexts.

• 1997

  European Center for Law and Justice is established

  [1]American Center for Law & Justiceen.wikipedia.org

  ACLJ leaders help create the European Center for Law and Justice in Strasbourg as part of the organization's international legal strategy.

• 1990

  ACLJ is founded

  [1]American Center for Law & Justiceen.wikipedia.org

  Pat Robertson establishes the American Center for Law & Justice to advocate for religious and constitutional freedoms from a conservative Christian perspective.

A conservative Christian public-interest legal organization positioned as an advocate for religious liberty, constitutional freedoms, and faith-based participation in public life.

• Legal advocacy · 1990

  U.S. constitutional litigation

  ACLJ litigates and supports cases involving constitutional freedoms, especially religious expression, public prayer, speech, and the rights of faith-based organizations. Its legal position generally favors a broad public role for religious expression and challenges interpretations it considers hostile to religious liberty.

• Public-interest advocacy · 1990

  Religious-liberty advocacy

  The organization conducts campaigns and public communications on religious-freedom questions in the United States and abroad. Its work is aimed primarily at protecting Christian individuals and institutions, while its critics contend that its positions can favor religious establishment or restrict other communities.

• International legal services · 1997

  International human-rights representation

  Through ACLJ-linked centers in Europe and the former Soviet region, the organization has pursued international religious-rights cases and engaged with institutions such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the European Court of Human Rights.

• Policy advocacy · 1990

  Conservative public-policy campaigns

  ACLJ campaigns on issues including abortion, Islamic law, religious expression, mosque and cultural-center development, and legislation affecting sexuality and family policy. These activities extend beyond courtroom representation into lobbying, media advocacy, and coalition work.

• Scrutiny of related-party payments and financial transparency

  ACLJ and related entities were criticized over payments involving Jay Sekulow, his family, and affiliated businesses. Critics argued that routing donations through Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism and related arrangements made the organization's compensation and outside expenses difficult to evaluate.

  Source

• Charity-accountability criticism

  The Human Rights Campaign criticized ACLJ's financial disclosure practices and cited shortcomings against charity-accountability standards. Charity Navigator issued different concern advisories for ACLJ entities in Washington, D.C., and Virginia Beach following reporting on payments to Sekulow and his family.

  Source

• Criticism over religious and LGBT-rights positions

  The ACLJ has been criticized by the ACLU, Americans United, and the Human Rights Campaign over its approach to church-state separation, public-school prayer, and advocacy connected with laws affecting LGBT people.

  Source

Read more

• 2010Congressional Muslim Staffer Association inquiry request

  United States

  ACLJ asked the Justice Department to investigate a congressional Muslim staffers' prayer program, alleging that some participants had extremist or terrorism-related associations.

  Source
• Kenyan constitutional-change opposition

  Kenya

  ACLJ opposed proposed changes to Kenya's constitution, arguing that they could permit abortion and the application of Islamic law.

  Source
• Islamic cultural-center opposition

  United States

  ACLJ worked against construction of an Islamic cultural center near the former World Trade Center site and sought action through New York City's landmarks approval process.

  Source
• Uganda and African conservative social-policy advocacy

  Uganda · Africa

  ACLJ has been associated with advocacy for conservative Christian legislation in Africa, including support in Uganda for measures criminalizing homosexuality.

  Source

• 2018

  Senior counsel takes a prominent presidential legal roleOther

  Background

  Jay Sekulow was already ACLJ's chief counsel when Donald Trump faced significant personal and political legal matters.

  Action taken

  Sekulow joined Trump's personal legal team while remaining associated with ACLJ and separately represented Andrew Brunson in Turkey.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement increased public attention on ACLJ's leadership and its relationship to national political affairs.

  Source

• 1997

  Expand into international legal advocacyStrategy

  Background

  ACLJ sought to apply its religious-rights mission beyond the United States.

  Action taken

  Its leaders helped establish the European Center for Law and Justice in Strasbourg and later created a Moscow-based Slavic affiliate.

  Aftermath

  The affiliated centers participated in European and international human-rights institutions and litigation.

  Source

• 1990

  Establish a conservative Christian constitutional-advocacy organizationStrategy

  Background

  The organization was created as a right-leaning alternative to the American Civil Liberties Union and its interpretation of religious-liberty and First Amendment issues.

  Action taken

  Pat Robertson founded ACLJ to litigate and advocate for religious and constitutional freedoms.

  Aftermath

  ACLJ developed into a prominent conservative Christian legal organization with domestic and international operations.

  • American Civil Liberties Union — The ACLU has criticized ACLJ positions on public-school prayer and religious-liberty issues.

  Source

1. 1American Center for Law & Justiceen.wikipedia.org
2. 2American Center for Law & Justice official websiteaclj.org