Tomorrow: Little Sisters of the Poor back in court defending their ministry Nuns head to Third Circuit to extend their winning streak against government bureaucrats

WASHINGTON – Becket attorneys will be at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit tomorrow asking the court to block a nationwide ruling that rejected the Little Sisters of the Poor’s protection from the federal government’s contraceptive mandate.

The Little Sisters have spent more than a decade defeating government efforts to force them to provide contraceptives in their healthcare plan or face tens of millions of dollars in fines. That winning streak features three Supreme Court victories, including a 2020 ruling in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania upholding the federal conscience rule that protects the Sisters from the mandate. But Pennsylvania and New Jersey are still fighting to strip the Little Sisters of that hard-won protection. Last year, a federal district court sided with the states, teeing up the Little Sisters’ latest chance to beat the government in court.

What: 
Oral Argument in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania 

Arguing before the court: 
Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the Little Sisters 

When: 
July 7, 2026, at approximately 11:20 a.m. ET

Where: 
James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse
601 Market Street, 19th Floor
Albert Branson Maris Courtroom
Philadelphia, PA 19106  

Link to livestream: https://www.youtube.com/@USCourtsCA3/streams 

In addition to Becket, the Little Sisters are also represented by attorneys at Clement & Murphy.  

For more information or to arrange an interview with a Becket attorney, contact Ryan Colby at  [email protected] or 202-349-7219.