Arnold & Porter Leads Pro Bono Effort in Controversial Matter in Which Township Zoned Out a Proposed Mosque
New York Law Journal ran a piece yesterday about the ongoing efforts of Arnold & Porter to challenge a zoning law in New Jersey, written by Peter Zimroth, a lead attorney on the case:
Arnold & Porter is leading a pro bono effort—together with Archer & Greiner, the Brennan Center, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund—to challenge a newly enacted zoning law in Bridgewater, N.J., which was designed to block the development of a proposed mosque in that town. Recently I was asked to talk to a gathering of more than 200 Muslim supporters of the proposed mosque. The lawyers were being thanked for their pro bono effort, and I was asked to talk about the case and about why lawyers chose to undertake a case like this pro bono.
According to Zimroth, the case is already making a difference in Bridgewater and elsewhere, and he had this to say to supporters:
You have helped bring this community together to support the cause of religious freedom. You have shown skeptics that you can fight for your rights with dignity, with restraint, and within the best traditions of American law.
Your case has brought your cause to the attention of allies and potential allies. The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the behavior of the town officials. Some time before our case began, the Anti-Defamation League sponsored an interfaith coalition on mosques comprised of important Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and Muslim leaders. That group recently wrote a strong letter to the mayor of Bridgewater and the president of the town council supporting your case. And there are more supporters; and there will be still others added.
Read the full story here.
