Alabama Center for Law and Liberty
Alabama Center for Law and Liberty (ACLL) is a conservative nonprofit public interest law firm in Alabama that was active from 2021 to 2024. ACLL was involved in anti-transgender lawfare in the state and the federal judicial district.
Background
The Alabama Policy Institute (API), a conservative nonprofit in Birmingham, launched ACLL to serve as its legal arm and defend API’s policies in court. The organization was formed in 2021 and became independent of API in June 2023. The Alabama Constitutional Law Foundation is now its parent entity.
Matthew J. “Matt” Clark was named ACLL’s first executive director. In August 2023 Clark stepped down to become senior staff attorney to Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker. The board named Clark’s spouse, Laura Clark, as interim president. The project went dormant in around 2024.
Letter to Montgomery City Council (2021)
On July 19, 2021, Clarke sent a letter [original] on behalf of ACLL and several other parties to the Montgomery City Council, urging it to reject an ordinance making sexual orientation and gender identity protected classes. Clark argued that churches could be fined for refusing transgender people use of the bathroom of their choice. ACLL warned that litigation could follow if the ordinance passed.
Signatories were:
- Matthew J. Clark: Executive Director, Alabama Center for Law and Liberty
- Mathew D. Staver: Chair, Liberty Counsel
- A. Eric Johnston: President, Southeast Law Institute
- Allen Mendenhall: Executive Director, Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy
- John A. Eidsmoe: Senior Counsel, Foundation for Moral Law
- Margaret Clarke: General Counsel, Eagle Forum of Alabama
- Phil Williams: General Counsel and Chief Policy Officer, Alabama Policy Institute
Corbitt v. Taylor (2021)
The case challenged Alabama’s Policy Order 63, which required proof of genital surgery before the gender marker on a driver’s license could be changed. ACLL backed the state’s policy. The reported 11th Circuit opinion lists Clark as counsel for ACLL as amicus.
Eknes-Tucker v. Governor of Alabama (2022)
The case challenged Alabama’s law criminalizing gender-transition drugs and surgeries for minors. ACLL filed in the 11th Circuit appeal of the injunction blocking the law. Clark said the brief argued that the original understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment, read through natural law, science and Scripture, recognizes two sexes and cannot support a right to change one’s sex. The State’s appellate briefs list ACLL as an amicus curiae, and the 11th Circuit opinion lists Clark as counsel for ACLL.
Littlejohn v. School Board of Leon County (2023)
Florida parents January Littlejohn and Jeffrey Littlejohn sued over a Leon County school policy that encouraged staff to use a student’s preferred pronouns at school while not disclosing this to the parents. They argued the policy violated the Fourteenth Amendment. ACLL said it filed an amicus brief because any 11th Circuit precedent would also bind Alabama. The 2025 en banc-stage brief of Florida and 19 states lists ACLL as an amicus and Clark as counsel.
Selected publications by ACLL
Clark, Matthew J. (July 19, 2021). [Letter to Montgomery City Council on gender identity ordinance]. https://alabamalawandliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Letter-from-Religious-Liberty-Groups-to-Montgomery-City-Council.pdf [archive]
Amicus Brief of Amicus Foundation for Moral Law in Support of Defendants-Appellants Seeking Reversal, Corbitt v. Taylor, No. 21-10486 (11th Cir. June 2, 2021), https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/legal-documents/006_Amicus_Brief_Foundation_Moral_Law.pdf.
Resources
Alabama Center for Law and Liberty (alabamalawandliberty.org) [archive]
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