Kramer Levin and Center for Reproductive Rights File Amicus Brief in Zubik v. Burwell

Kramer Levin and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Zubik v. Burwell, in which nonprofit religious employers – such as religious colleges and Catholic charities – challenged the Affordable Care Act’s so-called contraceptive mandate. The contraceptive mandate requires employers to provide insurance coverage for contraception, while allowing religious employers to opt-out by submitting a form stating their objection. The petitioners maintain that the opt-out provisions do not adequately accommodate religious objectors, while the government contends that the accommodation strikes an appropriate balance between reproductive and religious rights. The brief – one of scores of amicus briefs filed in support of the government’s position -- was submitted on behalf of a group of international law professors. Its purpose was to show that the ACA’s accommodation is consistent with the approach taken in other countries that recognize religious conscientious objection to reproductive healthcare. The Kramer Levin team consisted of Litigation special counsel Marjorie E. Sheldon, associates Boaz I. Cohen, Jennifer M. Klein, Anna K. Ostrom and Evie Spanos, and paralegals Tatiana Pawelec and Angela Chan.