Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this week's episode we cover the following updates:

1:16 President Trump recently signed an executive order to help Christian families foster children;

19:49 Florida became the first state to adopt the Phoenix Declaration (a set of core values to guide an educational system);

28:17 The Charlotte Lozier Institute's recently published a report on the impact of pregnancy resource centers across America.

Tags: Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, religious discrimination, first amendment, foster care, public school reform, abortion, PRCs, Susan B. Anthony.

The Napa Legal Podcast, November 24, 2025.

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this week’s episode, we discuss the following updates: 1:41: the Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments and will determine if RLUIPA enables a Rastafarian inmate to sue prison officials who forcibly shaved his head14:30 the Sixth Circuit’s recent ruling against compelled speech policy in public schools that punished students for “misgendering” their classmates25:02 the Court’s recent denial of Kim Davis’ appeal for cert. Tags: Landor, religious liberty, RFRA, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, inmates' rights, free speech, Obergefell v. HodgesThe Napa Legal Podcast, November 17, 2025

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this week's episode, we cover the following updates:

1:25 Texans vote to enshrine parental rights in the state constitution;

10:50 Christian homeschoolers ask Ninth Circuit to prevent unlawful religious discrimination;

22:10 Illinois nears becoming the next state to legalize assisted suicide.

Listen to our discussion on medical conscience rights with Fr. Tad Pacholczyk here: https://youtu.be/liOSO5eNqqM

Listen to our discussion with Nathan Berkeley on physician assisted suicide here: https://youtu.be/YVm7jcYraNQ

Tags: Religious freedom, Texas Proposition 15, First Amendment, free exercise, bioethics, medical conscience rights.

The Napa Legal Podcast, November 10, 2025.

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious freedom from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this special episode, join Napa Legal Vice Chairman John Peiffer, Napa Legal President Mark Rohlena, Napa Legal Senior Counsel and Director of Content Frank DeVito, and Fr. Anthony Pillari as they discuss the findings of the 2025 Faith and Freedom Index.

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious freedom from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this special episode, Frank DeVito discusses the Good Counselor Project with 2025 fellows Daniel Hart, Athanasius Sirilla, and Bradon Smith. Learn more about Napa Legal's GCP Fellowship, an annual formation program centered around the study of the great books.

Applications for the 2026 cohort of the Napa Legal Good Counselor Project are now open! For more information and to apply, visit our website here:

https://www.napalegalinstitute.org/good-counselor/the-good-counselor-fellowship

Explore more of the Napa Legal Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwszS7Ql6_y51WlMS0kPL-Kcn8CajmaRW

Visit Napa Legal's website here:

www.napalegalinstitute.org

Read Napa Legal's blog here:

https://www.napalegalinstitute.org/publications/and-gods-first

Tags: Religious freedom, attorney formation, Aristotle, Dante, Euclid, St. Thomas More, St. Thomas Aquinas, Catholic education.

The Napa Legal Podcast, October 15, 2025

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious freedom from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this special episode, Frank DeVito discusses the Good Counselor Project with 2025 fellows Darren Geist and Brandon Sipple. Learn more about Napa Legal's GCP Fellowship, an annual formation program centered around the study of the great books.Applications for the 2026 cohort of the Napa Legal Good Counselor Project are now open! For more information and to apply, visit our website here:https://www.napalegalinstitute.org/good-counselor/the-good-counselor-fellowshipExplore more of the Napa Legal Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwszS7Ql6_y51WlMS0kPL-Kcn8CajmaRWVisit Napa Legal's website here:www.napalegalinstitute.orgRead Napa Legal's blog here:https://www.napalegalinstitute.org/publications/and-gods-firstTags: Religious freedom, attorney formation, Aristotle, Dante, Euclid, St. Thomas More, St. Thomas Aquinas, Catholic education.The Napa Legal Podcast, October 15, 2025

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this week's episode, Frank DeVito and Joseph Clement discuss the following updates:

0:57 Whether or not Colorado's ban on affirming a child's God-given sex in counselling violates the First Amendment;

17:02 the National Right to Life Committee's recent involvement in a lawsuit against Idaho's ban on abortion trafficking;

26:29 A Michigan-based program that provides funding for expectant mothers and families with new babies.

Explore more of the Napa Legal Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwszS7Ql6_y51WlMS0kPL-Kcn8CajmaRW

Visit Napa Legal's website here:www.napalegalinstitute.org

Read Napa Legal's blog here:https://www.napalegalinstitute.org/publications/and-gods-first

Tags: Kaley v. Chiles, oral arguments, SCOTUS OT 25, Free Speech Clause, subpoenas, First Choice v. Platkin, religious liberty, nonprofit law, legal podcast, pro-life movement, abortion, constitutional amendments.

The Napa Legal Podcast, October 16, 2025

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious freedom from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits.

In this guest episode, Fr. Tad Pacholcyzk from the National Catholic Bioethics Center joins Napa Legal's Frank DeVito and Joseph Clement to discuss the philosophical foundations and practical implications of protecting medical conscience rights.

What You'll Learn

- What are medical conscience rights, and why do they matter

- Why should medical professionals be free to bring their faith into their practice

- How should we respond to the surge of moral relativism that interferes with protections for religious freedom

Guest Bio

Fr. Tad Pacholcyzk is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts and the Senior Ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center. He earned his PhD in Neuroscience at Yale University, and has spoken extensively on bioethical issues for over 20 years.

If you appreciate this content, please like, share, and subscribe.

Explore more of the Napa Legal Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwszS7Ql6_y51WlMS0kPL-Kcn8CajmaRW

Visit Napa Legal's website here:www.napalegalinstitute.org

Read Napa Legal's blog here:

https://www.napalegalinstitute.org/publications/and-gods-first

Tags: Bioethics, medicine, religious liberty, Chiles v. Salazar, Free Speech, NCBC.

The Napa Legal Podcast, October 9, 2025

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious freedom from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits.In this guest episode, David Cortman from the Alliance Defending Freedom joins Napa Legal's Frank DeVito and Joseph Clement to discuss the complex issues surrounding religious freedom in public schools. We explore how the history, tradition, and laws of the United States all work to protect religious free exercise in public education.What You'll Learn- What constitutional protections students have for religious expression- How parental rights have been respected in public schools in America and what threats parents face today- Recent and active Supreme Court cases affecting the exercise of religion in schoolsGuest BioDavid Cortman is the Vice President of US Litigation and Senior Counsel and the Alliance Defending Freedom. He has been practicing law for nearly 30 years and has litigated (and won) major cases affecting religious freedom at the Supreme Court.If you appreciate this content, please like, share, and subscribe. Leave a comment below — we’d love to hear your experiences or questions about religious freedom in schools.Explore more of the Napa Legal Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwszS7Ql6_y51WlMS0kPL-Kcn8CajmaRWVisit Napa Legal's website here:www.napalegalinstitute.orgRead Napa Legal's blog here:https://www.napalegalinstitute.org/publications/and-gods-first

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. This week Frank DeVito and Joseph Clement discuss the following legal and policy updates:

0:55 The Fifth Circuit's recent decision in favor a Baptist organization that invoked the Church Autonomy Doctrine;

14:09 A new law in California that expands who is allowed to make medical decisions for minors other than the child's parents;

21:48 An attempt in the Florida legislature to revoke state funding from pregnancy resource centers.

Tags: First Amendment, religion clauses, religious liberty, parental rights, due process, jurisprudence, pro-life, abortion.

The Napa Legal Podcast, September 29, 2025