Joseph Brennan
Joseph Brennan will join Dalton & Tomich following his graduation from Wayne State University Law School in 2024. Prior to his summer associateship with Dalton & Tomich, Joseph was a Law Clerk with the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC). During his time at Wayne Law, he has served on the Wayne Law Review and his note Revisiting Free Exercise in the Michigan Constitution has been selected for publication in 2024. Joseph graduated from Michigan State University’s James Madison College of Public Affairs in 2016 majoring in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy and has been considering questions related to the intersection of church and state since he was an undergraduate. Since then, Joseph has acquired valuable business development experience in both the private and public sectors and has served in several faith-based community development initiatives within the City of Detroit.
- Apostolic Church v. Borough of Pemberton, 10-cv-03609 (N.J. 2010)
- Harvest Market Missionary Ministries, v. Borough of Pine Hill, 11-cv-01179 (N.J. 2011)
- Iglesia Cristiana Renacer v. City of Lynn, 11-cv-11945 (Mass. 2011)
- No Limits Christian Ministries, Inc. v. City of Mountain Home, 11-cv-00255 (Idaho 2011)
- Teesdale v. City of Chicago, 792 F. Supp. 2d 978 (N.D.Ill. 2011)
- Harvest Covenant Church v. City of Milwaukee, 12-cv-00549 (E.D. Wisc. 2012)
- The Life Center, Inc. v. City of Elgin, 13-cv-2842 (N.D. Ill 2013)
- Lela, et. al. v. Board of Trustees, 14-cv-05417 (N.D. Ill. 2014)
- Mount Zion Church of God in Christ v. Garden City, 14-cv-01361 (Kansas 2014)
- River Hills Community Church v. Village of Sauk City, 14-cv-00048 (W.D. Wisc. 2014)
- Liberty Baptist Church v. Crawford County, 15-cv-01130 (Kansas 2015)
- World Outreach Conference Center v. City of Chicago, 787 F.3d 839 (7th Cir. 2015)
- The King’s Tabernacle v. Town of Johnston, Rhode Island, 16-cv-00030 (Rhode Island 2016)
- Original Bible Church of Illinois v. City of Markham, 16-cv-11315 (N.D. Illinois 2016)
- New Life in Jesus Ministry v. City of Dothan, Alabama, 17-cv-00694 (Alabama 2017
- Church of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ v. City of Markham, Illinois, 913 F.3d 670 (7th Cir. 2019)
- City Walk – Urb. Mission Inc. v. Wakulla Cnty. Fla., 471 F. Supp. 3d 1268 (N.D. Fla. 2020)
- Church at Jackson v. Hinds Cnty., Mississippi, No. 3:21-CV-298-HTW-LGI, 2021 WL 4344886 (S.D. Miss. 2021)
- Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church, Inc. v. City of St. Pete Beach, FL, 515 F. Supp.3d 1226 (M.D. Fla. 2021)
- Rojas v. Martell, 2020 IL App (2d) 190215
- Service Award, Alliance Defending Freedom, 2017
- Bronze Service Award, Alliance Defending Freedom
- National Litigation Academy Honor Corps, Alliance Defending Freedom
- 2014 Rising Star, Illinois Super Lawyers
- Illinois Super Lawyers list, 2015 and 2016
- Board Member, Rockford Rescue Mission
- Member, Christian Legal Society
- Allied Attorney, Alliance Defending Freedom
- Board Member, Courtside Ministries
- Advisory Council Member, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA)
- Member, Rockford Chamber of Commerce
- How a little-known federal land use law could help combat antisemitism in America (2021)
- Amicus curiae brief in support of the ministerial housing allowance in Gaylor v. Mnuchin (2018)
- Amicus curiae brief filed in the United States Supreme Court case of NIFLA v. Becerra on behalf of 23 Illinois pregnancy care centers.
- “Leveling the Playing Field: A Guide for Churches Navigating the Religious Land Use and Zoning Process,” with Daniel P. Dalton, May 2018
- Noel has had many speaking engagements, including:
- “Modern Shifts in Religious Liberty Law,” University of Chicago Federalist Society, November 17, 2021
- “Protecting Religious Freedom Through Federal Land Use Laws,” Christian Legal Society National Conference, October 30, 2021
- “Employer Vaccine Mandates and Religious Exemption Requests,” Winnebago County Bar Association, October 20, 2021
- “Religious Land Use Litigation Since 2000,” ABA Midyear Meeting, Houston 2015
- “When Civil Liberties and Zoning Powers Collide,” Christian Legal Society
- “Resolving Church Property Disputes: Past, Present, and Future,” Christian Legal Society National Conference, October 2022
- Court Rules in Favor of Nurse Who Was Fired Because She’s Pro-Life
- Illinois court rules in favor of Catholic nurse who lost job over abortion objections
- Church Law & Tax, Challenging the Clergy Housing Allowance, March 16, 2019
- Bold Church Initiative, Navigating Zoning and Land Use Laws, October 15, 2018
