Other LanguagesOLYMPIA -- The National Association of Attorneys General has given its annual award for excellence in legal brief writing to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.
This year’s award went to the team working on the Locke v. Davey case. Team members include Attorney General Christine Gregoire, Solicitor General Narda Pierce, Senior Assistant Attorney General Bill Collins and Assistant Attorney General Michael Shinn.
The Davey case concerned whether the state was required to provide publicly funded scholarships to divinity students if it also provided them to students taking non-religious studies. The Attorney General’s Office argued that Washington’s Constitution and a state statute enacted in 1969 are intended to protect citizens from governmental interference in religion by prohibiting the use of public money to support divinity students.
In a 7-2 decision, the court upheld the state’s position.
Background information on the Davey case and the award winning brief can be obtained by visiting the Attorney General’s website at /davey/
-30-