Lori (Halstead) Windham, 2001 Abilene Christian University graduate, is becoming known as a "rising star in Washington legal circles," according to Tom Carter, communications director for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where Windham serves as legal counsel.
After graduating from ACU with a bachelor's degree in political science, Windham attended Harvard Law School and graduated in 2005. According to Windham, she became a lawyer in part because her Christian high school in Texas came under assault from local government. One court finding said the local government "declared war" on the school.
Windham successfully defended the rights of her high school, assisting with the Castle Hills settlement negotiations in September 2007, and has since been sought out as a legal expert all over the country. She currently is employed with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington-based civil rights law firm that defends the free expression of all religions against government interference.
"I am very pleased that Lori is working with the Becket Fund," said Dr. Mel Hailey, chair of the Department of Political Science. "Her work in defending the cause of religious freedom certainly is a proclamation of the ACU mission statement in practice. Lori represents the best of ACU in her commitment to serving the public interest through her legal training."
According to Carter, Windham has proven herself a capable defender of religious constitutional rights, and stories quoting her in the Associated Press have been published by dozens of newspapers in the United States and Canada. Most recently, Windham was quoted in USA Today in regards to a case involving ten Old Order Amish men whose homes were not in compliance with modern building codes.
Other cases Windham has defended include that of a Santeria priest in Euless, Texas, as well as that of the Castle Hills First Baptist Church in San Antonio.
"I have the highest regard for Lori," Hailey said. "In her pursuit for the religious freedom for others, she serves us all. I am honored to say Lori Windham was one of my students."
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