Lori H. Windham, Esq.

Senior Counsel
The Becket Fund
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At The Becket Fund, Lori Halstead Windham has represented religious organizations and individuals facing government discrimination, faith-based service providers in danger of losing funding, and churches and synagogues denied land use permits. She has also worked with state prison systems to improve religious accommodations for inmates. Lori’s work has been featured in multiple print, radio and television outlets including USA Today, the Boston Globe, and CBS Radio.

Lori has represented clients before the United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Ninth Circuits, and on petition to the U.S. Supreme Court. Lori joined The Becket Fund after graduating from Harvard Law School. While in law school, she worked as a student attorney with the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau and interned with both The Becket Fund and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department. Lori graduated summa cum laude from Abilene Christian University, where she earned her B.A. in political science.

Lori is a member of the Board of Visitors of Abilene Christian University and recipient of the ACU Young Alumnus of the Year award.

Recent Cases:

Vermont Department of Corrections: After receiving a warning letter from the Becket Fund, the Vermont Department of Corrections changed its proposed prison regulations to accommodate prison ministries, permit inmates to more easily attend worship services, and remove restrictions on inmates changing their religion.

Yoder v. Morristown: The Becket Fund is representing twelve Amish families against a small New York town trying to force the Amish out of their homes because their traditional religious beliefs do not permit them to use electricity and modern methods of home construction.

Merced v. Euless: The Becket Fund represented a Santeria priest in Euless, Texas, successfully overturning a lower court decision which prohibited him from carrying out religious sacrifices in his home. This was the first Fifth Circuit opinion interpreting Texas’ religious freedom law, an act which provides Texans with even greater religious freedom than that guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State v. Prison Fellowship Ministries: The Becket Fund represented Prison Fellowship Ministries in this Eighth Circuit appeal of a decision shutting down its rehabilitation program in the Iowa prisons. The Becket Fund won a reversal of the $1.5 million judgment against PFM, which now continues to serve inmates in the Eighth Circuit.

Bar Memberships: Virginia; District of Columbia; United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Third, Fifth, Sixth and Ninth Circuits.

Aricles & Appearances:

Amish Internet Blog - 12th Amish Man Faces Morristown Permit Violation

Watertown Daily Times - 12th Amish Man Faces Morristown Permit Violation

Watertown Daily Times - Amish fail to reach settlement with town

Connecticut Law Tribune - A Not-So-Simple Matter Of Faith

Star-Telegram - Court won't rehear Euless animal-sacrifice case