Lorie Smith, a web designer from Denver, is back in the legal spotlight after her significant victory in the U.S. Supreme Court. Last year, Smith won a landmark case that allowed businesses to refuse services for same-sex weddings based on free speech rights. Now, Smith and her legal team from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) are requesting nearly $2 million in legal fees as compensation for their extensive efforts in the case.
The journey to this victory was arduous, spanning seven years and encountering numerous legal obstacles. The legal team cited over 2,174 hours of work dedicated to the litigation, a significant reduction from the total 3,374.9 hours initially billed. Their $2 million request is to cover these extensive hours of legal work. “The journey was long, complex, and ground-breaking,” the lawyers stated in their filing to Chief U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer in Denver.
Smith’s case garnered widespread attention when the Supreme Court ruled in her favor, overturning a lower court decision that mandated compliance with Colorado’s anti-discrimination law. This law prohibited businesses from discriminating based on sexual orientation among other factors. The ruling was one of the most consequential First Amendment cases in recent years, with Justice Neil Gorsuch affirming that forcing Smith to create speech she did not believe in would violate her First Amendment rights.
The dissenting opinion, voiced by Justice Sonia Sotomayor and the other liberal justices, highlighted the unprecedented nature of the ruling, which they argued granted businesses the right to refuse services to protected classes. Despite the victory, the Colorado Attorney General’s office declined to comment on the case, and the ADF did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
This case is not just a significant legal win for Smith but also a reflection of the broader tensions between religious liberty and anti-discrimination laws in the U.S. The ADF, known for its faith-based advocacy, continues to push the boundaries of these legal battles, as seen in their other high-profile cases like the challenge to restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone.