Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/09pdf/08-1371.pdf
Page Number: 52

4 

CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOC. CHAPTER OF UNIV. OF CAL., 

HASTINGS COLLEGE OF LAW v. MARTINEZ 

ALITO, J., dissenting 

Hastings Jewish Law Students Association and the Hast-
ings  Association  of  Muslim  Law  Students),  groups  that 
promote  social  causes  (e.g.,  both  pro-choice  and  pro-life
groups), groups organized around racial or ethnic identity 
(e.g.,  the  Black  Law  Students  Association,  the  Korean 
American  Law  Society,  La  Raza  Law  Students  Associa-
tion,  and  the  Middle  Eastern  Law  Students  Association), 
and  groups  that  focus  on  gender  or  sexuality  (e.g.,  the 
Clara  Foltz  Feminist  Association  and  Students  Raising 
Consciousness  at  Hastings).    See  App.  236–245;  Brief  for 
Petitioner 3–4. 

Not  surprisingly  many  of  these  registered  groups  were
and are dedicated to expressing a message.  For example,
Silenced  Right,  a  pro-life  group,  taught  that  “all  human
life  from  the  moment  of  conception  until  natural  death  is 
sacred  and  has  inherent  dignity,”  id.,  at  244,  while  Law 
Students  for  Choice  aimed  to  “defend  and  expand  repro-
ductive  rights,”  id.,  at  243.  The  American  Constitution 
Society  sought  “to  counter  .  .  .  a  narrow  conservative  vi-
sion”  of  American  law,”  id.,  at  236,  and  the  UC  Hastings
Student  Animal  Defense  Fund  aimed  “at  protecting  the 
lives  and  advancing  the  interests  of  animals  through  the
legal system,” id., at 245. 

Groups  that  are  granted  registration  are  entitled  to
meet  on  university  grounds  and  to  access  multiple  chan-
nels  for  communicating  with  students  and  faculty—
including posting messages on designated bulletin boards,
sending  mass  e-mails  to  the  student  body,  distributing 
material  through  the  Student  Information  Center,  and 
participating  in  the  annual  student  organizations  fair.
App.  to  Pet.  for  Cert.  7a,  85a.    They  may  also  apply  for 
limited travel funds, id., at 7a, which appear to total about
$4,000 to $5,000 per year, App. 217—or less than $85 per 
registered  group.  Most  of  the  funds  available  to  RSOs 
come  from  an  annual  student  activity  fee  that  every  stu-
dent must pay.  See App. to Pet. for Cert. 89a–93a.