Way back in the spring of 2009 I wrote about the case of Julea Ward, a counseling graduate student who was expelled from Eastern Michigan University for refusing to counsel gay clients according to the ethical mandates of her profession. It’s an interesting case, and one that’s become something of a cause celebre on the right — you can read all the background here, and read a bit more about my take on the ethical issues involved here.

A federal judge ruled in EMU’s favor in July 2010, and the case is slowly wending its way through the appellate process. On Friday, the ACLU filed an amicus brief on EMU’s behalf — it’s a good introduction to the case, and a solid analysis of the issues at stake.