Jay Alan Sekulow

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Jay Alan Sekulow (born June 10, 1956 in Brooklyn, New York) is the Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), an international public interest law firm and educational organization.

1 Early Years
2 Career
3 Schiavo Case
4 Radio Program
5 Criticism
6 Son
7 Publications
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Early Years

Born into a Jewish family, Sekulow converted to Christianity when he was a student at Mercer University. While there he also became a member of Jews for Jesus. Jay received his law degree from Walter F. George School of Law. His subsequent legal work for the group would lead to his first appearance before the United States Supreme Court in the 1987 case of Board of Airport Commissioners v. Jews For Jesus. His victory won the organization the right to distribute pamphlets in airports.

[edit] Career

In 1990, Sekulow became the director of The American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative religious organization founded by evangelist Pat Robertson as a counterweight to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Several landmark cases argued by Sekulow before the U.S. Supreme Court have become part of the legal landscape in the area of religious liberty litigation. In the Mergens case, Sekulow cleared the way for public school students to form Bible clubs and religious organizations on their school campuses. In the Lamb's Chapel case, Sekulow defended the free speech rights of religious groups, ensuring that they be treated equally with respect to the use of public facilities. And, most recently, in McConnell v. FEC, Sekulow ensured that the constitutional rights of young people remain protected with a unanimous decision by the high court guaranteeing that minors can participate in political campaigns.

In 2005, TIME Magazine named Sekulow one of the "25 Most Influential Evangelicals" in America and called the ACLJ "a powerful counterweight" to the ACLU. Business Week said the ACLJ is "the leading advocacy group for religious freedom." Sekulow's work on the issue of judicial nominees - including possible vacancies at the Supreme Court - has received extensive news coverage including a front page story in The Wall Street Journal. In addition, The National Law Journal has twice named Sekulow one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers" in the United States. (1994, 1997) He is also among a distinguished group of attorneys known as "The Public Sector 45" named by The American Lawyer. (January/February 1997) The magazine said the designation represents "45 young lawyers outside the private sector whose vision and commitment are changing lives." Sekulow serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for The Supreme Court Historical Society in Washington, DC.

[edit] Schiavo Case

In 2003 and 2005, Sekulow became a household name when he immersed himself in the Terri Schiavo saga in Florida. As an advocate for the parents, Sekulow argued that Schiavo should have remained on life support even though numerous courts had found "clear and convincing evidence" that Terri Schiavo would have chosen to die. Although she never completed a living will, Schiavo had allegedly verbally expressed her wish to not remain on life support on three separate occasions prior to her condition. Sekulow advised Governor Jeb Bush and lobbied the Florida Legislature, and he supported Terri's Law, legislation that overruled prior court decisions regarding Schiavo. Terri's Law was passed in 2003 and ruled unconstitutional in 2004 by the Florida Supreme Court because it violated separation of powers.

[edit] Radio Program

Sekulow has a daily national call-in radio program, Jay Sekulow Live!, which is broadcast on more than 550 radio stations reaching 1.5 million listeners a day. Sekulow also hosts a weekly television program, ACLJ This Week, which tackles the issues of the day and is broadcast on a number of networks nationwide including the Trinity Broadcasting Network and FamilyNet.

[edit] Criticism

In November 2005 Legal Times [1] published an article in which it was alleged that Sekulow "through the ACLJ and a string of interconnected nonprofit and for-profit entities, has built a financial empire that generates millions of dollars a year and supports a lavish lifestyle -- complete with multiple homes, chauffeur-driven cars, and a private jet that he once used to ferry Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia." The article quotes a number of former donors and supporters (none of whom were identified by name) who claim that Sekulow has engaged in a pattern of self-dealing to finance his "high-flying lifestyle." The article reviewed hundreds of pages of financial, real estate and tax filings, outlining the corporate structure of the ACLJ and other closely held for-profit companies founded by Sekulow including CASE, PGMS, Regency and the similarly-named Center for Law and Justice, a for-profit law firm owned by Sekulow and two other ACLJ executives.

According to a ranking by the American Institute of Philanthropy, a charity watchdog group, Sekulow is the 13th-highest-paid executive of a charitable organization in the United States, and is ranked just below the CEO of United Way.

[edit] Son

His son Logan Andrew Sekulow has a TV show called "The Logan Show." [2]

[edit] Publications

Jay Sekulow, The Christian, The Court, and The Constitution, The American Center for Law and Justice (2000).
Jay Sekulow, Christian Rights in the Workplace, The American Center for Law and Justice (1997).
Jay Sekulow, Knowing Your Rights, (1993).
Jay Sekulow, And Nothing But the Truth (1996).
Jay Sekulow, From Intimidation to Victory, Creation House (1990).