David A. Cortman
Senior Counsel, Vice President of U.S. Litigation
David A. Cortman serves as senior counsel and vice president of U.S. litigation with Alliance Defending Freedom. He has been practicing law for nearly 30 years, and currently supervises attorneys and legal staff who specialize in constitutional law, focusing on religious freedom, free speech, and the sanctity of life.
Cortman has litigated hundreds of constitutional law cases in federal and state court. He has argued in the U.S. Supreme Court in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, securing a 7-2 victory that overturned Missouri’s denial of a religious school’s participation in a state funding program. Cortman also argued Reed v. Town of Gilbert, securing a 9-0 ruling that prohibits the government from discriminating against religious speech. He also served as lead counsel in Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Burwell, Geneva College v. Burwell and Southern Nazarene University v. Burwell, defending for-profit and non-profit religious employers from providing abortifacient coverage that violates their religious convictions; and ACSTO v. Winn, defending a school choice tax credit program. Cortman also served as co-counsel in 303 Creative v. Elenis, defending against Colorado’s attempt to compel speech of a creative artist; Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, securing nominal damages to hold government officials liable for constitutional violations; NIFLA v. Beccera, defending free speech rights of pro-life pregnancy centers; Masterpiece v. Cakeshop v. Col. Civ. Rights Div., defending against government hostility toward religious beliefs about marriage; and Town of Greece v. Galloway, defending the freedom to pray at public meetings.
Cortman was included in the Empirical SCOTUS Supreme Court All-Stars for having the most First Amendment wins from 2013-17. He has appeared as a guest in many national media outlets. He earned his J.D. magna cum laude from Regent University School of Law in 1996, and is a member of the bar in Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and the District of Columbia. He has taught CLEs and lectures on the First Amendment.