Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/09pdf/08-1371.pdf
Page Number: 14

8 

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

HASTINGS COLLEGE OF LAW v. MARTINEZ 

Opinion of the Court 

“The  parties  stipulate  that  Hastings  imposes  an 
open  membership  rule  on  all  student  groups—all 
groups  must  accept  all  comers  as  voting  members 
even if those individuals disagree with the mission of
the group.  The conditions on recognition are therefore 
viewpoint neutral and reasonable.  Truth v. Kent Sch. 
Dist.,  542  F. 3d  634,  649–50  (9th  Cir.  2008).”    Chris-
tian  Legal  Soc.  Chapter  of  Univ.  of  Cal.  v.  Kane,  319 
Fed. Appx. 645, 645–646 (CA9 2009). 

We  granted  certiorari,  558  U. S.  ____  (2009),  and  now 

affirm the Ninth Circuit’s judgment. 

II 

Before  considering  the  merits  of  CLS’s  constitutional 
arguments,  we  must  resolve  a  preliminary  issue:  CLS 
urges  us  to  review  the  Nondiscrimination  Policy  as  writ­
ten—prohibiting  discrimination  on  several  enumerated 
bases,  including  religion  and  sexual  orientation—and  not 
as  a  requirement  that  all  RSOs  accept  all  comers.    The 
written  terms  of  the  Nondiscrimination  Policy,  CLS  con­
tends, “targe[t] solely those groups whose beliefs are based 
on  religion or  that  disapprove  of  a  particular  kind  of  sex­
ual  behavior,”  and  leave  other  associations  free  to  limit 
membership  and  leadership  to  individuals  committed  to
the  group’s  ideology.  Brief  for  Petitioner  19  (internal
quotation  marks  omitted).    For  example,  “[a]  political  . . .
group can insist that its leaders support its purposes and 
beliefs,”  CLS  alleges,  but  “a  religious  group  cannot.”    Id., 
at 20. 

CLS’s  assertion  runs  headlong  into  the  stipulation  of
facts  it  jointly  submitted  with  Hastings  at  the  summary­
judgment stage.  In that filing, the parties specified: 

“Hastings  requires  that  registered  student  organiza­
tions allow any student to participate, become a mem­
ber,  or  seek  leadership  positions  in  the  organization,