Thomas More Society Special Counsel Charles LiMandri and Paul Jonna, partners at LiMandri & Jonna LLP, have been honored as 2021 California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. The duo has been chosen as the winners in the Constitutional Law category for their work defending the religious liberties of a San Diego church and its pastor against gubernatorial overreach, to achieve a victory at the United States Supreme Court for all Californians.

The Daily Journal, California’s premier legal publication, issues the CLAY (California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year) Awards to acknowledge California lawyers “for achievements with a significant impact on public policy, the law, the profession, or a particular practice area.” These awards are regarded as among the most prestigious granted annually for practicing attorneys in California.

"This is a wonderful accolade for both Charles LiMandri and Paul Jonna,” remarked Thomas More Society Executive Vice President and General Counsel Andrew Bath.

Bath continued:

“One of which they are truly deserving. Along with their Senior Associate, Jeffrey Trissell, they have been tireless in their work to uphold the constitutionally guaranteed rights of South Bay United Pentecostal Church against Governor Newsom’s inappropriate and illegal restrictions.”

The Supreme Court’s February 5, 2021, decision in South Bay United Pentecostal Church, et al. v. Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, et al. struck down California’s indoor worship ban, which was imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The High Court ruling allowed nearly 40 million California residents to resume indoor worship. Prior to the Supreme Court’s intervention, Californians were forced to worship outdoors, in the cold, or from home, while at the same time many retail establishments were operating indoors with substantial capacity. A prior ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in this case struck down Newsom’s arbitrary fixed occupancy caps for indoor worship.

“Contrary to both the United States District Court for the Southern District of California and the Ninth Circuit, the Supreme Court correctly found that California’s indoor worship ban could not survive strict scrutiny,” stated Jonna. “This ruling, which affirms and strengthens First Amendment protections for people of faith, should prevent California from imposing future discriminatory restrictions targeting houses of worship during the pandemic.”

Bath observed that the legal success was a team effort and that all involved could be proud of the accomplishment. LiMandri, the senior lawyer on the case, oversaw the litigation and brief writing and argued the matter before the Ninth Circuit, while Jonna, who also oversaw the litigation and brief writing, argued the case twice at the District Court before Judge Cynthia Bashant. Trissell took the lead on the initial drafting of the trial court and appellate briefs.

CLAY Award winners are selected by the Daily Journal’s editors and reporters. This year, the Daily Journal nominated 35 attorneys for the CLAY Awards, out of 190,000 active lawyers in California.