Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 19, 2025 at 12:15 PM

New York Village Axes Christmas Tree Fundraiser

First Liberty Institute Mayor won’t allow Catholic Church to continue 25-year Christmas tradition | Village Mayor in New York Axes  Christmas Tree Fundraiser at Catholic Church The Village of The Branch, New York says that St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church can…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 18, 2025 at 6:01 PM

What were our top cases in 2025?

First Liberty Institute Take a deep dive into the key victories that will help secure the future of religious freedom | December 18, 2025 Dear John, For all of 2025 you’ve been a difference-maker in the fight for faith. You’ve helped deliver critical victories for hou…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 16, 2025 at 5:31 PM

Impacting Tomorrow Today

First Liberty Institute Boldly standing for faith today is the only path for securing the future of religious freedom| Dear John, Faith can move mountains. And that’s just what your faith has done. Because of your prayers and ongoing support, some of the biggest roadblocks…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 14, 2025 at 11:15 PM

PREMIERE: Watch Our First Liberty

First Liberty Institute Learn how and why the Constitution and Bill of Rights came about | December 14, 2025 Dear John, Tomorrow is Bill of Rights Day. And in conjunction with that, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of the third animated video in our Founders Trilog…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 12, 2025 at 12:31 PM

Fighting for Faith in the Military

First Liberty Institute The Fourth Religious Liberty Commission Discusses Faith in the Armed Forces | Faith for Generations: Clients and Friends of First Liberty Share About Faith in the Armed Forces at the Commission The fourth Religious Liberty Commission he…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 11, 2025 at 6:01 PM

Grilled, but in a Good Way

First Liberty Institute Analyzing our day at the Supreme Court | Dear John, Last week, we were privileged to present Gabe Olivier’s case at the Supreme Court. And I can tell you that when it came time to argue Gabe’s case, the justices were highly engaged. So much so th…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 11, 2025 at 3:50 PM

BREAKING: Supreme Court Delivers Major Victory for Parents

First Liberty Institute Justices rule in favor of parents | December 11, 2025 We just won a huge victory for parental rights. On Monday, the United States Supreme Court said “No” to the State of New York’s attempt to force an Amish community to vaccinate their school-…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 9, 2025 at 5:31 PM

Our 2025 Annual Report is Here!

First Liberty Institute Only one way to describe this year: UNPRECEDENTED | Dear John, Wow, what a year it’s been for First Liberty! There is only one word that can really describe 2025: Unprecedented. With God’s grace and your support, we are expanding religious freedom in ways…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 5, 2025 at 12:31 PM

We Argued a Supreme Court Case This Week

First Liberty Institute What happened at our big court date for evangelist Gabe Olivier? | First Liberty Argues Major Case at the U.S. Supreme Court  on Behalf of Mississippi Evangelist Led by our volunteer attorney Allyson Ho of the law firm Gibson Dunn, we m…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 3, 2025 at 12:30 PM

Live! From the Steps of the Supreme Court

First Liberty Institute Today’s Oral Argument for Gabe Olivier Starts at 8:45 AM CST | Dear John, In just a few hours, we will be fighting at the U.S. Supreme Court for the constitutional right of every American to have their case heard in a court of law. Starting at 8:45 AM CST…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 3, 2025 at 2:39 AM

FWD: Giving Tuesday ends in just a few hours

First Liberty Institute Your gift today can secure your first liberty for generations to come | Dear John, Giving Tuesday has just a few hours left. And if you’ve already given today, THANK YOU! If you haven’t, please take just a few moments to learn how your gift can make a huge…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 2, 2025 at 10:30 PM

Giving Tuesday ends in just a few hours

First Liberty Institute Your gift today can secure your first liberty for generations to come | Dear John, There are just a few hours left to make your Giving Tuesday gift and multiply your impact with our $100,000 Challenge Grant. So far, it’s been an incredible Giving Tuesday…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 2, 2025 at 5:02 PM

Be a Force Multiplier for Religious Freedom

First Liberty Institute $100,000 Challenge Grant Ends at Midnight Tonight | Dear John, What a tremendous blessing Giving Tuesday has been so far! Friends from coast-to-coast have been standing with us today and making an incredible impact for the future of religious freedom. If…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 2, 2025 at 12:31 PM

$100,000 Giving Tuesday Challenge Grant Multiplies Your Impact

First Liberty Institute It’s time to show your support for faith and freedom | Dear John, Giving Tuesday is here, and there is no better cause to support than your God-given right to freely live out your faith. That’s why some generous friends of First Liberty put together a $1…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

December 1, 2025 at 4:03 PM

Will you stand for your first liberty?

First Liberty Institute $100,000 Challenge Grant multiplies your impact this Giving Tuesday |   Dear John, Thank you for your continued prayers and support. All year long, you have been the true difference-maker in securing the future of religious freedom. Tomorrow, Dec…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 30, 2025 at 11:31 PM

Standing for the Future of Freedom

First Liberty Institute Gabe Olivier tells his story | November 30, 2025 Dear John, For more than 40 years, Frank Jenner stood at a busy corner on St. George Street in Sydney, Australia passing out Gospel tracks. He did that every day until he had shared the message w…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 28, 2025 at 12:31 PM

Come With Us to the Supreme Court Next Wednesday?

First Liberty Institute Please pray. We’re only a few days away from a major hearing at the nation’s highest court. | Dec. 3 Supreme Court Argument:  Please Pray for First Liberty & Our Client, Gabe Olivier We’ll be arguing at the nation’s highest court th…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 27, 2025 at 4:01 PM

Thankful for You

First Liberty Institute A special message of thanksgiving from Gabe Olivier | November 27, 2025 Dear John, Today, we are especially thankful for the courageous stands our clients take to defend our first liberty. Without them, our right to freely live out our faith wou…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 25, 2025 at 5:31 PM

They handcuffed him for sharing his faith

First Liberty Institute Gabe Olivier is fighting back at the Supreme Court | November 25, 2025 Dear John, Thanksgiving is just a few days away. And this year one of the things we are most thankful for is the opportunity to argue a critical case at the Supreme Court. I…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 21, 2025 at 8:34 PM

BREAKING: State Court Rules Church Can Keep Ministering to City's Most Vulnerable

First Liberty Institute Big win for Pastor Chris Avell & Dad’s Place Church in Bryan Ohio | November 21, 2025 We just secured a big win for Pastor Chris Avell and Dad’s Place Church in Bryan, Ohio. Today, a panel of judges on the Court of Appeals of Ohio, Sixth …

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 21, 2025 at 12:16 PM

Want to Know How We Win Supreme Court Cases?

First Liberty Institute Insights from top appellate litigator Allyson Ho, who will argue our Supreme Court case on Dec. 3 | How to Win a Supreme Court Case?  Top Appellate Litigator Allyson Ho Shares Her Insights Allyson Ho is one of America’s best lawyers, wi…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 20, 2025 at 6:30 PM

An insider's look at what it's like to argue a case at the Supreme Court

First Liberty Institute Volunteer attorney Allyson Ho shares her experiences at our nation’s highest court with you | Dear John, Allyson Ho is one of our nation’s top constitutional attorneys. For lawyers like me, she is a household name. Allyson is co-chair of the Appe…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 18, 2025 at 6:29 PM

BREAKING: Supreme Court Declines to Hear Christian School Prayer Case

First Liberty Institute Lower court ruling stands, giving government power to ban prayer in public places | November 18, 2025 The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear our Cambridge Christian School case. The Florida State Athletic Association barred Cambridge Christian and …

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 14, 2025 at 12:31 PM

Tennessee School Rejects Students' Faith-Based Sports Club

First Liberty Institute First Liberty protects two students’ rights to start faith-based sports clubs at their schools | Tennessee School Says ‘No’ to a Faith-Based Sports Club This week, we sent a letter to the Smith County Board of Education informing the Bo…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 11, 2025 at 5:01 PM

Please pray for Victory at the Supreme Court

First Liberty Institute The outcome of this Supreme Court case will impact the civil rights of all Americans, religious or not. | Join Us on the Frontlines of this FightPray for Victory at the Supreme Court Dear John, In less than a month, we’ll be arguing a critical …

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 10, 2025 at 11:37 PM

BREAKING: Big Federal Court Win for Religious Families in California

First Liberty Institute School district dismisses appeal, agrees to give parents notice and opt-outs from radical gender ideology materials | November 10, 2025 We just secured a big victory in our federal appeals court case involving the Encinas family—an important …

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 7, 2025 at 12:15 PM

First Liberty Sues Violent Agitators Who Disrupted California Church's Worship Services

First Liberty Institute “Code Pink” agitators infiltrate church, shout slurs and terrorize congregants | First Liberty Sues Violent Agitators Who  Disrupted Christian & Jewish Worship Services We’re representing The Mission Church in Carlsbad and the Chri…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 6, 2025 at 6:01 PM

The Rights of Those Who Choose to Serve

First Liberty Institute It’s our honor to fight for our service members’ First Freedom | People often think that our service members forfeit their rights when they enlist. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Service members are entitled to the same First Amendment …

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 4, 2025 at 5:01 PM

Supreme Count Down

First Liberty Institute We’re less than 30 days from Oral Argument at the Supreme Court |   Dear John, In less than 30 days, we will be in Washington D.C. to argue before the justices at the U.S. Supreme Court. On December 3rd, we will argue on behalf of Gabe Olivier. A…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

November 3, 2025 at 11:43 PM

BREAKING: Federal Court Rules Against Catholic Schoolteacher

First Liberty Institute Judge sides with school district’s punishment of a veteran teacher | November 3, 2025 Today, a federal district court issued an alarming ruling against 30-year veteran teacher, Marisol Arroyo-Castro. The court upheld a public school’s punishm…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 31, 2025 at 11:31 AM

The Countdown to America's 250th Birthday Has Begun

First Liberty Institute Celebrating religious liberty: the freedom that started it all! | Religious Liberty: The Freedom That Started It All On Monday, Oct. 27—which marked 250 days until America’s 250th birthday on July 4—we launched a major campaign about r…

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  Dave Holmes · [email protected]

October 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM

Rebuilding the Fortress of Liberty

First Liberty Institute How you can leave a legacy like Nehemiah’s | October 30, 2025 Dear John, Our First Freedom, religious freedom, is like a great wall that protects all of our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. It’s what keeps us free. When I think about it in …

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 27, 2025 at 7:09 PM

Major announcement...

First Liberty Institute 250 Days to Celebrate 250 Years | October 27, 2025 In 1776, America declared independence—but more importantly, we declared something greater: Our rights come from God, not government. That idea changed the world. And it’s what we’re honoring i…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 24, 2025 at 11:30 AM

We're Going Back to the Supreme Court on Dec. 3

First Liberty Institute Six weeks away: Mississippi evangelist’s case set for argument | U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear  Mississippi Evangelist’s Case on Dec. 3 A court date is set for our case involving Gabriel Olivier. It’s only six weeks away, meaning Gabe a…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 22, 2025 at 10:56 PM

Off School Property: Solving the Separation of Church and State

First Liberty Institute A new movie about our friends at LifeWise Academy | October 22, 2025 You might be surprised to learn that thousands of public-school students are going off campus every day for religious instruction during school hours. How is that possible? Pr…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 20, 2025 at 10:30 PM

BREAKING: Supreme Court Will Hear Our Case on Dec. 3

First Liberty Institute Six weeks away: Mississippi evangelist’s case set for argument | October 20, 2025 Dear John, Big announcement! The U.S. Supreme Court will hear our case involving Mississippi evangelist Gabriel Olivier on Wednesday, December 3rd. This is a ma…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 17, 2025 at 11:16 AM

God Called Him to Preach. He Ended Up at the Supreme Court.

First Liberty Institute Gabe is fighting this case so everyone can share their faith in public. | When God Calls You to Share the Gospel   and Ends Up Taking You to the Supreme Court For evangelist Gabriel Olivier, taking his case to the U.S. Supreme Court is…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM

Please pray for Gabe

First Liberty Institute The outcome of this Supreme Court case will impact the civil rights of all Americans, religious or not. | October 16, 2025 Dear John, Gabe Olivier has had the courthouse doors slammed in his face. Not because his case doesn’t have merits. It do…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 11, 2025 at 1:01 PM

Did they get it wrong?

First Liberty Institute 5 bad legal precedents that need to be undone | October 11, 2025 Dear John, When I was in law school, there were a number of bad legal precedents that no one thought would be overturned in our lifetimes. But we’ve done just that... Twice! First…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 10, 2025 at 11:31 AM

Will This Supreme Court Term Define the Next 50 Years for Religious Liberty?

First Liberty Institute Two First Liberty cases (plus several more) that could set major precedents | Supreme Court Term Begins: Two First Liberty Cases  That Could Set Major Precedents for Religious Freedom The U.S. Supreme Court's fall term looks to be anot…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 7, 2025 at 7:45 PM

He Understands What Matters Most

First Liberty Institute Silenced high school student Zion Ramos tells his story | October 7, 2025 “Freedom of speech isn’t just a right, it’s the foundation of our liberty. Christians must stand up, speak out, and defend our right to share what we believe.” That’s wha…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 4, 2025 at 1:31 PM

Making a Better Tomorrow Happen

First Liberty Institute Get the First Look into October at First Liberty |   Last year at this time, we were fighting against an attempt to pack our courts and possibly the end of our freedoms. There has been a big change, especially where religious liberty is concerned…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 3, 2025 at 11:30 AM

Another Successful & Impactful Religious Liberty Commission Hearing

First Liberty Institute First Liberty attorney & clients give powerful, inspiring testimonies | Live from the Religious Liberty Commission with  Kelly Shackelford & Coach Joe Kennedy In this First Liberty Live! episode, you’ll hear from Kelly—a member…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

October 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM

The Costs of Being Faithful

First Liberty Institute Marisol Arroyo-Castro and Joe Kennedy Live from the Religious Liberty Commission | October 1, 2025 On Monday, the President’s Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) met for the third time, and First Liberty once again played a major role in the dir…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

September 30, 2025 at 5:25 PM

BREAKING: Student Kicked Off High School Zoom for Sharing Faith

First Liberty Institute High school student muted and kicked off online meeting for sharing his faith | September 30, 2025 A teacher at Arkansas Connections Academy muted and kicked out high school student Zion Ramos for sharing his faith with other students in an onlin…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

September 26, 2025 at 11:30 AM

Charlie Kirk's Memorial: A Turning Point for America and Flashpoint for Religious Liberty

First Liberty Institute A revival in the making? America’s next great awakening? | Charlie Kirk’s Memorial: A Turning Point in American History and a Flashpoint for Religious Liberty The service brought closure for many after the death of an American hero. Bu…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

September 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM

Whoa! That's not allowed here!

First Liberty Institute 6 Big Wins You Need to Know About | September 25, 2025 Dear John, When you fight to protect religious freedom, winning is critical. It’s so important that winning is one of our core beliefs. The fact is, we can’t protect religious freedom or re…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

September 19, 2025 at 11:30 AM

Tennessee City Won't Allow Prayer Vigil for Charlie Kirk

First Liberty Institute First Liberty demands city to allow residents to pray and hold religious gathering | Tennessee City Denies Request to  Host Prayer Vigil to Honor Charlie Kirk This week, First Liberty sent a demand letter on behalf of Brad Tumey, a loc…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

September 19, 2025 at 1:30 AM

FW: Just a few hours left to multiply your impact

First Liberty Institute Today, you can be a force multiplier for faith by taking action now | Dear John, I just wanted to make sure you saw this giving opportunity before it closes at midnight tonight. Best, KellyKelly ShackelfordPresident, CEO & Chief CounselFirst Liberty Ins…

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  Kelly Shackelford · [email protected]

September 18, 2025 at 10:00 PM

Just a few hours left to multiply your impact

First Liberty Institute $50,000 Challenge Grant ends at Midnight | The BIG GIVING DAY is almost over, but there is still time to make your gift to First Liberty and join the $50,000 Challenge Grant. Right now, we need more Americans like you who believe in religious liberty a…

See More from Kelly Shackelford