The Napa Legal Podcast

Does the government have legal authority to control and investigate Churches and religious organizations? In this episode of the Napa Legal Podcast, Frank DeVito is joined by Rachel Morrison (from the Ethics and Public Policy Center) to explain how the First Amendment and the Church Autonomy Doctrine protect religious organizations from government interference. They discuss a recent amicus brief s...

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 explain if the Establishment Clause is violated by posting the 10 Commandments in public schools, Washington's laws that give the state power over parents who refuse to affirm their children's mental illness, and M...

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 explain a new First Amendment lawsuit, a case against a Buddhist temple that could impact Catholic seminaries and religious orders, and Kansas' new "bathroom bill." In this episode, we discuss: 1:17 A challen...

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 explain the latest on Jimmy Lai's sentencing, lawsuits over sex-rejecting procedures at children's hospitals, and abortion law in Michigan. In this episode, we discuss: 1:17 Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old Catholic advo...

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 explain a novel legal victory that will protect children from "transgender" surgeries, compelled speech in public schools, and a new lawsuit against abortion pill distribution. In this episode, we discuss: 1:11 A...

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 explain a lawsuit over mail-order abortions, free speech in public schools, and the public display of statues depicting two Catholic saints. In this episode, we discuss: 1:20 The Department of Justice's latest interven...

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 explain new legal and policy updates involving New York's abortion mandate, the Church Autonomy Doctrine and COVID restrictions, and Illinois' abortion referral requirements. In this episode, we discuss: 1:23 New Y...

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 explain new legal and policy updates involving public schools that treat students as the opposite sex while lying to parents, women’s sports at the U.S. Supreme Court, and pro-life legislation. In this episode, we discuss:...

In this episode of the Napa Legal Podcast, we’re joined by Andrea Picciotti-Bayer to examine religious liberty, the First Amendment, and the role of faith-based nonprofits in American society today. We discuss why religious individuals and organizations must be free from government coercion to carry out their missions, and how protecting religious liberty benefits civil society and the most vulner...

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: 1:35 The 9th Circuit's novel expansion of the Church Autonomy Doctrine to provide greater protection for religious organizations when making hiring decisions; 19:18 A case currently pendi...

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 follow updates: 1:38 The latest ruling against Planned Parenthood's attempt to force Congress to provide the nation's largest abortion provider with taxpayer dollars; 12:31 The reinstatement of the Depa...

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits! In this episode, Frank DeVito and Joseph Clement discuss the origins, mission, and identity of Napa Legal, and explain why the government must protect the free exercise of religion and the freedom of individuals and institutions to seek and worship God. Drawing from Catholic social...

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this special guest episode, Frank DeVito sits down with Chris Motz, the Senior Counsel at First Liberty and former Marine infantry officer and current part time judge advocate in the Air Force reserve component. They discuss religious liberty in the US military, especially in th...

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this episode, Frank DeVito and Joseph Clement discuss the following updates: 1:40 A recent victory in court for a group of pro-life sidewalk counsellors in Florida who were prevented from carrying out their ministry; 15:25 A Minnesota court's recent decision that protected t...

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this special guest episode, Frank DeVito is joined by Jason Bedrick, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation's Center for Education Policy. They discuss the Phoenix Declaration, a set of principles and truths designed for school boards and education systems in America....

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this special episode, Frank DeVito and Joseph Clement discuss two key Supreme Court cases that could reshape when someone whose rights have been violated can get into federal court. Both cases were recently argued before the US Supreme Court in its December sitting with rulings...

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 updates: 1:29 A federal rule that punishes doctors and insurance providers who refuse to perform or cover operations that violate their faith is being challenged in an appellate court; 14:39 A new report from HHS detai...

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)...

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 sp...

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...

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 f...

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...

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 involvemen...

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...