Religion, Est. 1999
The Thomas More Law Center – named after the 16th-century lawyer-politician, Thomas More - is a conservative Christian, not-for-profit public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was set up in 1999, by the prominent business and Christian leader, Tom Monaghan, and Richard Thompson, the former Oakland County, Michigan, prosecutor. TMLC’s stated goals are the defense and promotion of religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life. Its motto is to be "The Sword and the Shield for People of Faith" – in providing legal representation free of charge to protect and defend Christians and their religious beliefs in the public square. Thomas More Law Center aims to achieve its mission through litigation, media, and educational efforts, and seeking out significant cases. The cases the law center pursues pertain to religious rights in matters such as same-sex marriage, pornography, school prayer, and the removal of the Ten Commandments from municipal and school buildings, which they think should be decided by the people and not the courts. Though TMLC is actively involved in many controversial social issues, the law firm is best known for its staunch backing of cases based on intelligent design – a controversial assertion that is an antithesis to natural selection and dissedby the science community as a creationist pseudoscience – and its strong anti-abortion/pro-life litigation. Some of the high profile cases in which TMLC has joined sides in its pursuit against the cultural war being waged against Christians in the U.S. include the Stenberg v.Carhart case, Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe - which banned students from leading stadium crowds in prayer before high school football games - and the Terri Schiavo controversy.
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