A law firm dedicated to serving religious institutions and the religious community. 

Our founders are three lawyers of different faiths who came together with a common purpose: to serve the legal needs of religious institutions and individuals. For us, the practice of law is something greater than an occupation; it is a mission with a greater meaning. 

Nelson Madden Black is:

Unique. We are wholly dedicated to serving the legal needs of religious clientele.

Necessary. Religious institutions and individuals have singular legal needs. Religious institutions—ranging from houses of worship to religious schools to charitable organizations—must navigate specialized and sometimes antiquated laws on issues as diverse as church formation, taxation, and employment. Likewise, the Constitutional and other legal issues arising from individuals’ religious affiliation and expression are specific to their status as followers of a faith. Despite the great numbers of religious institutions and individuals in the United States, historically such clients have gone underserved by the legal profession. The firm was established to serve these unmet needs.

Nondiscriminating. Nelson Madden Black welcomes clients of all faiths.

Committed. Our lawyers understand religious practice not only through our work but through personal experience. Our founders are Christian and Jewish, and all have held leadership positions in their faiths and find religion important in their daily lives. We are dedicated to using the practical devices of the law to empower the spiritual missions of others.

The firm has a rich diversity of experience in the practice of law generally: our lawyers have represented clients in transactional matters as well as in civil and criminal litigation, and as general counsel on the $1.2 billion renovation of Lincoln Center. Our clients include Christian ministers, Hindu temples, rabbis and cantors, Muslim refugees, evangelical organizations and many others.

Nelson Madden Black LLP

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