The Law, Rights, and Religion Project

Our Story: The Law, Rights, and Religion Project

Formerly the Public Rights/Private Conscience Project, the Law, Rights, and Religion Project is a law and policy think tank based at Columbia Law School, overseen by Faculty Director Professor Katherine Franke.

Our mission is to ensure that laws and policies reflect the understanding that the right to free exercise of religion protects all religious beliefs and communities, including the non-religious; requires respect for religious plurality and equality principles; and must be balanced against other liberty and equality rights where they are in conflict. Our work takes the form of legal research and scholarship, public policy interventions, advocacy support, and academic and media publications.