U.S. Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Ohio 'Permit to Pray' Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has granted certiorari to Orrick client Daniel Grand, agreeing to hear his case in a religious freedom dispute with the city of University Heights, Ohio.

• Mr. Grand, an Orthodox Jew, sued the city after he was prohibited from hosting a small Jewish prayer gathering (known as a "minyan") in his home without first obtaining a special use permit. Lower federal courts dismissed the case because he hadn't completed the permitting process-even though obtaining the permit would have required him to vacate his home.
• Filing a reply brief in partnership with Alliance Defending Freedom, the Orrick team explained that Mr. Grand canceled his planned minyan as ordered and tried to comply by submitting a permit application, but the process revealed compounding burdens-including opposition from neighbors and an overtly hostile public hearing. "So, paradoxically," the brief notes, "the only way for Grand to pray with friends at his home was to convert his home to a commercial space and move his family."
• Orrick's Josh Rosenkranz said: "In this country, no one needs a permit to pray in their home with friends. This case is about a fundamental freedom on which our nation was founded and a need for human and spiritual connection that has never felt more urgent. We look forward to presenting Mr. Grand's case to the Supreme Court."

Led by Josh, the Orrick team representing Mr. Grand includes Nicole Ries Fox, Kamilyn Choi, Holly Boux and Jodie Liu.

Click Here to Read Coverage in Law360 (subscription required)

Click Here to Read the Reply Brief