Skip to content

Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany v. Harris

Petition for writ of certiorari granted, judgment vacated, and case remanded to the Court of Appeals of New York for further consideration in light of Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission on June 16, 2025

Docket No. Op. Below Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
24-319 N.Y. N/A N/A N/A N/A OT 2024

Issue: (1) Whether a law is "neutral" and "generally applicable" under Employment Division v. Smith where it exempts certain religious organizations " but not others " based on narrow and subjective religious criteria unrelated to the law"s purpose, or instead such laws are subject to strict scrutiny; and (2) whether, if the First Amendment permits such discrimination among religious organizations under the rule announced in Smith, that decision should be overruled.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

DateProceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
07/22/2024Application (24A90) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from August 19, 2024 to September 18, 2024, submitted to Justice Sotomayor.
07/26/2024Application (24A90) granted by Justice Sotomayor extending the time to file until September 18, 2024.
09/18/2024Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 21, 2024)
09/26/2024Motion to extend the time to file a response from October 21, 2024 to November 20, 2024, submitted to The Clerk.
09/27/2024Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including November 20, 2024.
10/21/2024Brief amicus curiae of The Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty filed.
10/21/2024Brief amici curiae of CompassCare Pregnancy Services, et al. filed.
10/21/2024Brief amici curiae of Seven Legal Scholars filed.
10/21/2024Brief amicus curiae of Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic filed.
10/21/2024Brief amici curiae of Texas, et al. filed.
10/21/2024Brief amici curiae of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, et al. filed.
10/21/2024Brief amici curiae of the Bruderhof, et al. filed.
11/14/2024Motion to extend the time to file a response from November 20, 2024 to December 10, 2024, submitted to The Clerk.
11/15/2024Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including December 10, 2024.
12/10/2024Brief of respondents Adrienne A. Harris, et al. in opposition filed.
12/23/2024Reply of petitioners Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, et al. filed. (Distributed)
12/24/2024DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/10/2025.
06/06/2025Supplemental brief of petitioners Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, et al. filed. (Distributed)
06/09/2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/12/2025.
06/11/2025Supplemental brief of respondents Adrienne A. Harris, Superintendent, et al. filed.
06/16/2025Petition GRANTED. Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED for further consideration in light of Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Comm’n, 605 U. S. ___ (2025).