Table of Contents
- What Is the Alliance Defending Freedom?
- ADF’s Legal Track Record at the Supreme Court
- Key Issues ADF Fights For—and Against
- Funding, Reach, and Political Influence
- Criticism and Controversy
- What Happens Next?
- Sources
What Is the Alliance Defending Freedom?
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is a conservative Christian legal advocacy group that has quietly become one of the most influential forces behind America’s culture wars. Founded in 1994 by a coalition of evangelical leaders—including James Dobson of Focus on the Family—ADF describes its mission as “defending religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family.”
But to its critics, ADF is a well-funded legal machine working to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, restrict abortion access, and blur the line between church and state. With a staff of over 40 attorneys and a network of more than 3,800 allied lawyers, ADF has argued more than 40 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court—and won 15 of them.
ADF’s Legal Track Record at the Supreme Court
ADF’s influence peaked during the Trump-era court appointments, but its strategy spans decades. The group played a pivotal role in several landmark rulings:
- 303 Creative v. Elenis (2023): The Court ruled that a web designer could refuse to create sites for same-sex weddings, citing free speech.
- Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018): A baker’s refusal to make a wedding cake for a gay couple was upheld on narrow grounds of religious hostility.
- Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022): While not lead counsel, ADF filed influential amicus briefs supporting Mississippi’s abortion ban—the case that ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade.
“They’ve mastered the art of picking the right plaintiff, the right jurisdiction, and the right legal theory,” said legal scholar Leah Litman of the University of Michigan.
Key Issues ADF Fights For—and Against
ADF’s litigation portfolio centers on three core pillars:
- Religious liberty exemptions from anti-discrimination laws (e.g., businesses refusing service to LGBTQ+ customers).
- Restrictions on abortion and contraception, including bans on medication abortion and conscience clauses for healthcare workers.
- Opposition to transgender rights, especially in schools and sports—ADF has backed laws in over 20 states banning gender-affirming care for minors.
In 2025 alone, ADF attorneys are involved in at least six active federal cases challenging conversion therapy bans, transgender student protections, and access to mifepristone.
Funding, Reach, and Political Influence
Though ADF doesn’t disclose full donor lists, tax filings show it raised over $85 million in 2023. Major funders include the DeVos family, the Bradley Foundation, and anonymous conservative donors.
The group also trains law students through its “Blackstone Legal Fellowship” and places attorneys in government roles. Several former ADF lawyers now serve in the Trump administration, including in the Department of Justice and the Office of Legal Counsel.
Criticism and Controversy
ADF has been labeled a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which cites its past statements describing homosexuality as “criminal” and “sinful.” ADF denies the label, calling it “a smear to silence dissent.”
Still, internal documents and past publications reveal a more hardline stance than its current public messaging suggests. In a 2004 memo, ADF leaders outlined a 10-year plan to “eliminate the homosexual agenda” from public life.
“They’ve rebranded,” said Lambda Legal’s legal director, Shannon Minter. “But their end goal remains the same: to carve out broad religious exemptions that allow discrimination under the law.”
What Happens Next?
With a conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court, ADF is poised to push even further. Legal experts predict the group will soon challenge the constitutionality of all conversion therapy bans using strict scrutiny—a legal standard that could invalidate protections in over 20 states.
Whether viewed as defenders of faith or architects of exclusion, one thing is certain: the Alliance Defending Freedom will remain at the center of America’s most divisive legal battles for years to come.
