UH Constitutional Law Experts Available to Discuss SCOTUS Hobby Lobby Ruling

High Court Rules 5-4 on Closely Watched Contraception Mandate

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled today (June 30) that closely held companies cannot be required to pay for some types of contraceptive health insurance coverage for employees. The case has been one of the most controversial of the court’s term. The court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, which opposed the so-called contraception mandate of the Affordable Care Act because of religious objections.

University of Houston Law Center professors Aaron Bruhl and Peter Linzer are available to media to discuss the Supreme Court’s contraception ruling and assess what it means for companies, individuals and the Affordable Care Act.

BruhlAaron Bruhl, associate professor of law and George Butler Research Professor, teaches and writes on statutory interpretation, federal courts and the legislative process. His scholarly publications have appeared in journals such as the University of Chicago Law Review, the Cornell Law Review, the Michigan Law Review and the NYU Law Review.
 Bruhl received his J.D. degree from Yale Law School. Bruhl can be reached at AABruhl@central.uh.edu

"The ruling applies to other similar companies as well, namely companies controlled by a small group of people who have sincere religious objections to the contraception mandate. This case did not directly involve publicly traded corporations, which describes most of the nation’s largest employers," said Bruhl. "It seems unlikely that large publicly traded companies like Microsoft or Exxon, which are owned by countless individual shareholders, could claim to possess religious beliefs that would qualify them for an exemption."

Bruhl gives additional assessment of this ruling in this Q&A, which addresses religious exemptions, challenges of other laws and Roe v. Wade.

linzerPeter Linzer, professor of law, is a constitutional law expert and noted scholar on contract law. His teaching areas also include Equal Protection, the First Amendment, international contracting and torts. Linzer received his J.D. degree from Columbia Law School and is a former editor of the Columbia Law Review. Linzer can be reached at PLinzer@central.UH.edu

To schedule interviews with these UH professors, contact Shawn Lindsey, UH director of media relations at selindsey@uh.edu or 713-743-5725; Carrie Criado, UH Law Center executive director of communications and marketing at cacriado@Central.UH.EDU or 713-743-2184; or John Kling, UH Law Center communications manager, at jtkling@central.uh.edu or 713-743-8289.