May 2026 - LAW AND RELIGION FORUM

This month, I have had the pleasure of teaching an online seminar on the Supreme Court of the United States for students in Yerevan State University’s Master’s Program in American Studies. The seminar focuses on the Court’s power of judicial review and the limits on that power—limits imposed by the other branches of government, by the Court itself, and by the American people. We also have been discussing current proposals for Supreme Court reform. I have used the Court’s Religion Clause jurisprudence as an example of its influence in US life.

The seminar has been a lot of fun. The students have asked excellent questions about constitutional law, judicial power, and the Court’s role in American public life. I am grateful to Yerevan State University, the Master’s Program in American Studies, Alexander Markarov, and Vahagn Aglyan for the invitation and for their hospitality.

Here are some important law-and-religion news stories from around the web

The Fourth Circuit ruled that Virginia may deny state scholarship funding for students pursuing vocational religious degrees, siding with the state in a challenge brought by a Liberty University student. The court held that the Supreme Court’s decision in Locke v. Davey controlled and permitted states to withhold funding for religious instruction programs.
The Supreme Court allowed access to the abortion pill mifepristone by mail to remain in place while litigation continues. The decision pauses a lower court ruling that would have imposed new restrictions on the drug’s distribution.
A group of federal employees sued Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, alleging that religious messages sent through official USDA emails promoted Christianity in the workplace. The lawsuit claims the emails violated the Establishment Clause by amounting to government endorsement of religion.
An Iraqi court ruled in favor of a woman seeking to change her official religious designation from Islam to Christianity, a decision that could have broader implications for religious rights in the country.
France’s Senate rejected an assisted-dying bill this week, as Christian and pro-life groups called on lawmakers to preserve the decision. The debate has drawn continued attention from religious organizations and renewed disputes over end-of-life legislation.