The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right to pray in public. This protection includes private religious speech and other religious expressions, such as worship and prayer. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that private religious speech is as fully protected under the Free Speech Clause as secular private expression. 

Despite the long history of official government acknowledgment of the role of religion in American life, some organizations still challenge the right of private citizens to participate in prayer on public property. We’ve been involved in numerous cases against such anti-prayer groups throughout the years. However, the right to pray publicly is still robust and subject to only limited constraints. Download our free legal guide for more information.