2020: COVID-19 Versus the First Amendment

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged, tested and transformed nearly every facet of America life. Constitutional Jurisprudence was not immune to these forces. Governments attempted to slow the virus through bans on gatherings and shutdowns of "nonessential" activities, including worship. In an evolving series of cases, these restrictions compelled the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify prior precedent and confront the extent to which the government may use its police powers to place limits on religious gatherings during an emergency.