Free Exercise of Religion — related Supreme Court cases
This page groups Supreme Court cases that involve the constitutional concept “Free Exercise of Religion”. Use it to explore related decisions and see how the same idea shows up across different cases.
“Free Exercise of Religion” is:
Government burdens on the practice or exercise of religious beliefs.
Source: First Amendment Where this concept definition/label comes from (for example, a constitutional provision or a reference framework).
Cases
These are cases where this concept was identified as relevant. Click a case to view its summary, holding, and supporting syllabus excerpts.
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Mahmoud v. Taylor
27th June 2025
The case centers on whether the Board's policy burdens the parents' right to the free exercise of religion.
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Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Comm’n.
5th June 2025
The case addresses whether the application of the statute burdens the religious exercise of the petitioners by denying them an exemption.
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Kennedy v. Bremerton School Dist.
27th June 2022
The case primarily deals with the Free Exercise Clause as Mr. Kennedy's right to engage in a personal religious observance was central to the Court's decision.
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Carson v. Makin
21st June 2022
The Court held that Maine's nonsectarian requirement for tuition assistance payments violates the Free Exercise Clause.
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Ramirez v. Collier
24th March 2022
The case primarily involves the application of RLUIPA, which is designed to protect the free exercise of religion for institutionalized persons.
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Fulton v. Philadelphia
17th June 2021
The Court held that Philadelphia's refusal to contract with CSS unless it agreed to certify same-sex couples violated the Free Exercise Clause.
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Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski
8th March 2021
The petitioners' actions involved sharing their religious faith, and the case discusses the enforcement of policies against this religious expression.
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Tanzin v. Tanvir
10th December 2020
The case involves the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was enacted to provide a remedy for violations of the right to free exercise under the First Amendment.
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Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania
8th July 2020
The case primarily involves the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which protects the free exercise of religion.
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Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru
8th July 2020
The case centers on the application of the ministerial exception, which is rooted in the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, allowing religious institutions to make employment decisions about key employees without government interference.
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Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Revenue
30th June 2020
The Court held that the application of the no-aid provision discriminated against religious schools and families in violation of the Free Exercise Clause.
