John Mauck, a founding partner of Mauck & Baker, has been an attorney for over 40 years, representing many churches and ministries in Chicago and across the nation to provide religious land use in illegally restricted areas. His work drafting the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which became federal law in 2000, has helped congregations across the country freely worship.

“For me, being a lawyer is about serving God,” John says. “When you do something for a long time it becomes part of who you are—part of your identity.”

When John began his legal career litigation was not part of his practice. However, in 1985 a church elder, whom John had never met, came to his office and insisted that God had told him to hire John to represent their church in zoning litigation. At first John was hesitant, but God confirmed what the elder said and John’s practice now includes civil rights litigation and religious liberties. “I like helping to advance the law so that people have more freedom to worship,” he says. In addition to religious zoning work, John also practices real estate law and litigation, not-for-profit law and constitutional law with a focus on free speech, free exercise and establishment provisions of the First Amendment