First Liberty Institute

First Liberty is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans. We believe that every American of any faith—or no faith at all—has a fundamental right to follow their conscience and live according to their beliefs. Our nation's Founding Fathers established this right as our First Freedom nearly two and a half centuries ago, and we intend to keep it that way.

On the Frontlines: 

For over 30 years, First Liberty President, CEO and Chief Counsel, Kelly Shackelford, has been leading the fight to reclaim religious freedom in America. Joining Kelly on the frontlines are a dedicated team of legal experts who have helped First Liberty achieve an unparalleled win rate of over 90% across all legal matters. The nation's best attorneys, defending your first freedom.

Making History Together: 

Over the past two years, we’ve won 3 precedent-setting victories at the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2022, we won a landmark victory for Coach Joe Kennedy. This win not only overturned a prior ruling that harmed religious freedom for decades, but allows public school teachers, employees, and coaches nationwide to freely live out their faith in public. We also won for parents in Maine by preventing the exclusion of faith-based education from government programs.

In 2023, the Supreme Court granted a victory to postal worker Gerald Groff after he was fired for observing the Sunday Sabbath. This unanimous ruling redefined religious accommodations in the workplace, making sure that no American would be forced to choose between their faith and their job.

Because of these victories, Americans like you now have the chance to experience more religious freedom than ever before.

We Stand for You: 

Our nation's diversity has always been one of its greatest strengths. No matter your faith, ideology, or background, we will always defend your ability to freely live according to your beliefs—because the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is not conditional.

Even better, we do it at no cost to our clients.

Without our constitutional experts defending religious freedom, your right to practice and express your beliefs could be greatly diminished.  You could be persecuted or fired for simply praying in public or wearing a cross necklace—which are freedoms we've actually defended in court.

Our Strategy for Success:  

First Liberty Institute has a victory rate of over 90% across all legal matters we handle.

For every $100,000 we spend on a case, we receive up to $600,000 in pro bono legal time via our exclusive network of elite volunteer attorneys from some of the top firms in the country. In other words, every $1 dollar we receive in donations is multiplied by 6—allowing us to invest and deliver more freedom per dollar.