Jonathon Cherne is the vice president of the Church State Council, where he directs the ministry’s litigation efforts together with the Council’s president, Alan Reinach. Cherne’s legal practice focuses on religious discrimination in employment and First Amendment violations related to religious liberty.
Licensed to practice law in California, Tennessee, the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit, and many federal district courts, Cherne has served as lead trial counsel and argued many cases in courts across the country. Most notably, he served as co-counsel in Groff v. DeJoy, a U.S. Supreme Court landmark case which overturned the de minimis cost standard under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Cherne is a frequent speaker on religious Liberty and has published multiple articles as well. In 2009, Cherne served as research assistant to former United States Solicitor General and Dean of the Pepperdine School of Law, Kenneth Starr. He is also a Certified Public Accountant and currently holds that license in inactive status.