Insights

A Denver-area web designer, Lorie Smith, who gained national attention after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year, is now requesting nearly $2 million in legal fees. Smith, represented by the conservative legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, successfully argued that her right to free speech allows her to refuse services for same-sex weddings, challenging Colorado's anti-discrimination law. The legal team claims their seven-year battle against the state involved significant obstacles, justifying their fee request for 2,174.4 hours of work, which reflects a 36% reduction from the total hours billed. The Supreme Court's 6-3 decision overturned a lower court ruling that mandated Smith comply with Colorado's law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. In her lawsuit, Smith cited her religious beliefs against gay marriage as the basis for her refusal to provide custom web design services for same-sex weddings. The ruling has been characterized as one of the most significant First Amendment cases in recent years, with Justice Neil Gorsuch emphasizing that compelling Smith to create speech contrary to her beliefs would violate the Constitution. The dissenting opinion from Justices Sonia Sotomayor and others warned that the ruling sets a precedent allowing businesses to refuse service to members of protected classes. The case, known as 303 Creative LLC v. Aubrey Elenis et al, continues to stir debate over the balance between free speech and anti-discrimination protections. The Colorado attorney general's office has declined to comment on the matter.