Roger’s practice focuses on First Amendment matters and other civil rights issues in federal and state courts. He regularly counsels clients on equal access, Establishment Clause / church and state matters, religious land use, free speech, free exercise, and religious discrimination in employment.
Roger has been vital to a lot of great First Liberty victories. He played a key role as co-counsel for the First Liberty litigation team that successfully defended a WWI memorial cross threatened with destruction because of its religious symbolism, which culminated in a major First Amendment victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in The American Legion v. American Humanist Assoc. Others include Walsh v. Georgia Dept. of Public Health, which secured justice for a Seventh-day Adventist pastor and physician who lost his job as a public health official for expressing his religious beliefs in his sermons; AHA v. Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District, which protected the right of public schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance; and Brooks v. City of Utica, which secured relief for a practicing Nazirite and city firefighter whose safety was endangered because of his religious practices.
His past and present clients while at First Liberty include the Knights of Columbus, The American Legion, International Conference of Police Chaplains, a Native American sweat lodge, synagogues, churches, religious organizations and clubs, and various government entities. In addition to legal counsel, Roger implements media strategies on clients’ behalf and has appeared on television and radio stations around the country.
Before practicing law, Roger graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served a six-year commission as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy. After his military service he graduated magna cum laude from Regent University School of Law where he served as Articles Editor of Regent University Law Review.
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Lemon is Dead
“Lemon is dead,” quoth the court, and there was much rejoicing. Happily, the glad tidings...