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Mitchell v. Helms
Supreme Court of the United States

IN THE

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

__________________________

GUY MITCHELL, ET AL.,

Petitioners,

v.

MARY L. HELMS, ET AL.,

Respondents.

__________________________

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES

COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

__________________________

BRIEF OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH COMMISSION ON LAW AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS ("COLPA") AS AMICUS CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF PETITIONERS

__________________________

DAVID ZWIEBEL

Agudath Israel of America

84 William Street

New York, NY 10038

(212) 797-7385

NATHAN DIAMENT

Institute For Public Affairs

Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations

of America

1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036

(202) 857-2770

NATHAN LEWIN

Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin, L.L.P.

2555 M Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20037-1302

(202) 293-6400

Of Counsel

DENNIS RAPPS

Counsel of Record

National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs ("COLPA")

135 West 50th Street

New York, NY 10020

(212) 641-8992

Attorney for Amicus Curiae

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

INTEREST OF THE AMICUS CURIAE

INTRODUCTION

ARGUMENT

I. Agostini Repudiated the Principal

Justification for the Decision in

Lemon v. Kurtzman

II. Agostini Also Rejected the No-Entanglement

Justification for the Decision in

Lemon v. Kurtzman

III. Denying Generally Available Government

Aid for Secular Programs to Parents Who

Enroll Their Children in Religious Schools

Violates the First Amendment Obligation

of Government Neutrality

CONCLUSION

APPENDIX


TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

CASES:

Agostini v. Felton, 521 U.S. 203 (1997) passim

Aguilar v. Felton, 473 U.S. 402 (1985)

Board of Education v. Allen, 392 U.S. 236 (1968)

Board of Education of Westside Community Schs. v. Mergens, 496 U.S. 226 (1990)

Bowen v. Kendrick, 487 U.S. 589 (1998)

Columbia Union College v. Clark, 119 S. Ct. 2357 (1999)

Everson v. Board of Educ. of Ewing, 330 U.S. 1 (1947)

Jackson v. Benson, 578 N.W. 2d 602 (Wis. 1998), cert. denied, 119 S. Ct. 467, 142 L. Ed. 2d 419 (U.S. 1998)

Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union

Free Sch. Dist., 508 U.S. 384 (1993)

Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971) passim

Meek v. Pittenger, 421 U.S. 349 (1975)

Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of Univ. of Virginia, 515 U.S. 819 (1995)

School Dist. of Grand Rapids v. Ball, 473 U.S. 373, (1985)

Simmons-Harris v. Goff, 711 N.E. 2d 203 (Ohio 1999)

Tilton v. Richardson, 403 U.S. 672 (1971)

Widmar v. Vincent, 454 U.S. 263 (1981)

Witters v. Washington Dept. of Servs. for the Blind, 474 U.S. 481 (1986)

Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills Sch. Dist., 509 U.S. 1 (1993)

OTHER AUTHORITIES:

School Voucher Bill Gets Bush Signature,  Fla. Times-Union, June 22, 1999, at A1

Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Cleveland's Tuition Voucher Program, The Associated Press state and local wire, July 20, 1999, available in LEXIS, Regional News Library, Ohio News Sources File

Johnson Drops 12-Year Voucher Phase-In, Albuquerque J., July 18, 1999, at B5

Teacher Union Chief Fights School Choice's Spread Beyond City, NEA Head Fears Vouchers Will Ruin Public Education, Milwaukee J. Sentinel, July 4, 1999, at 1.

New York State Education Department, Nonpublic School Enrollment and Staff: New York State (University of the State of N.Y., 1998)

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