On January 12, Tonkon Torp partner Steven Wilker led a discussion for the Humanists of Greater Portland about the state of the law regarding religious displays on public lands.
During his talk, Steven explored the question of whether religious displays on public land still violate the Establishment Clause. In June 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in American Legion vs. American Humanist Association that a large cross maintained on public land did not violate the Establishment Clause because it had acquired historical, non-religious significance as a war memorial for soldiers lost in WWI. Steven talked about this recent case as well as a wide range of topics regarding the separation of church and state, and where the lines are drawn between what is and is not permissible. Watch a video of his presentation here, hosted on the Humanists of Greater Portland website.
Steven is Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department and Information Privacy & Security Practice Group. He handles complex commercial litigation in trial and appellate courts and counsels clients on intellectual property, media communications and technology, information security, corporate governance, and finance issues. An AV-rated litigator, Steven is also a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property and Financial Services & Investment Management practice groups.
