Roman P. Storzer

ROMAN P. STORZER

What others are saying . . .

• "One of the lawyers best known nationwide for pursuing RLUIPA claims, . . . ."  New York Times
• "Roman P. Storzer is a Washington lawyer who has represented dozens of religious groups on land use cases and is one of the country's most experienced litigators in this field."  Religion Newswriters Association
• Mr. Storzer is one "of the country's leading RLUIPA advocates."  Center for State and Local Government Law, Hastings College of Law
• "[A] leading RLUIPA attorney in Washington, D.C."  Christianity Today.
• "Mr. Storzer has successfully represented scores of religious entities in RLUIPA and First Amendment cases throughout the United States."  Indian Panorama

Experience

2004 - 2006

• Law Office of Roman P. Storzer: After leaving The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Mr. Storzer practiced independently, representing religious institutions nationwide in a variety of religious freedom matters. Some notable victories include:
  • A decision by a federal district court supporting The Church of the Hills in a lawsuit against the Township of Bedminster, N.J. in an attempt to expand its church.
  • Preventing the County of San Diego from shutting down the Vietnamese Buddhist Meditation Congregation.
  • Thwarting the Camden County Improvement Authority's attempt to seize Living Faith Ministries' church and allowing it to continue to exist in an area of economic redevelopment.
  • Settling a lawsuit between the City of Chesapeake, Virginia and First Pentecostal United Holy Church in another eminent domain action for $1.1 million.

1995 - 2004

• The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty:  Executive Vice President and Director of Litigation.  In his decade-long tenure at The Becket Fund, Mr. Storzer represented and assisted numerous religious institutions, individuals, schools and other entities in First Amendment cases. He has defended:
  • The rights of churches, synagogues, temples and schools to be free from unduly burdensome land use regulation
  • The ability of religious institutions to be free from judicial interference in their internal affairs
  • The right of religious employees not to be discriminated against.
  • Students who have been discriminated against in the public schools.
  • Municipalities who have recognized the traditional role of religion in our culture.
  • Religious property from being taken by overzealous governmental authorities.
  • The right not to be excluded from public fora simply because one's message may be religious.

Mr. Storzer initiated the Becket Fund's RLUIPA project, becoming the preeminent authority on the rights of religious institutions and incarcerated persons to be free from discrimination and burdensome regulation. In that capacity and elsewhere, he has authored several papers on that subject and others:

BAR ADMISSIONS

• United States Supreme Court
• United States Courts of Appeals: Second Circuit, Third Circuit, Sixth Circuit, Seventh Circuit, Ninth Circuit, Tenth Circuit, D.C. Circuit
• United States District Courts: District of Columbia, Western District of Michigan, Western District of Wisconsin, Northern District of Illinois, District of Maryland
• Maryland Court of Appeals
• District of Columbia Court of Appeals

EDUCATION

• B. Comm. (Hon), Queens University, Kingston
• J.D. (with Honors), George Washington University Law School, Washington, D.C.