Christian Legal Society Chapter of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law v. Martinez
United States Supreme Court
561 U.S. 661 (2010)
Hastings College of the Law required registered student organizations (RSOs), in exchange for funding, facilities, and other benefits, to accept any student as a member regardless of status or belief under an "all-comers" nondiscrimination policy; when the Christian Legal Society (plaintiff) sought an exemption because its bylaws excluded members based on religious belief and sexual orientation, Hastings denied the exemption, and CLS sued alleging violations of its speech and association rights. The district court and court of appeals ruled for Hastings, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Whether a public law school's policy requiring registered student organizations to accept all students as members, regardless of belief or status, as a condition of receiving official recognition and associated benefits, violates the First Amendment rights to free speech and expressive association.