Face Veils and Driver License Photos: CAIR Survey Released

November 1, 2008 by C. C. · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Announcements

The Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has completed a survey (PDF) of state laws regarding driver’s licenses and religious attire. The information was obtained by filing Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) requests or by writing to the government agencies in each state responsible for driver’s licenses.

The survey covers the issue of whether people are permitted to wear headgear in driver’s license photos, if exemptions are permitted as religious accommodation, if non-photo driver’s licenses are available, and how face veils are handled.

As the report notes, and as I’ve noted previously in this space, this is not a question that solely affects Muslims. Many Jewish men wear yarmulkes; Sikh men wear turbans. Jewish and Christian women may wear religiously-prescribed headcoverings. Additionally, a number of Christian groups (especially the Amish) have religious prohibitions against the taking of photographs. Most of the case law on driver’s license photos in fact has to do with Amish or other Christian groups who don’t want photos to be taken at all.

On the specific issue of face veils, three states have what I consider the most reasonable policy, allowing face veiled women to get a non-photo driver’s license. These states are Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. As the survey notes, these states have large populations of Amish and other groups like the related Mennonites who have religious objections to all photos; that appears to be why they’re so accommodating. My own state, Washington, allows photos in which the person has their face veiled, but then a notation is put on the license that it doesn’t serve as ID. My position is, and always has been, that a face-veiled woman should be able to obtain a non-photo license as long as she is qualified to drive, and that she should obtain a separate photo ID for times when her identity needs to be verified. In a situation where it’s only her authorization to drive that’s at issue and not her identity, she doesn’t have to display the photo unnecessarily.

Anyway, the survey is a very good overview of the law in the different states and should be a good reference for those interested in this topic.

Added: The survey led to a news story from Kentucky about its driver’s license laws.

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Call for Contributions at LawVibe: Law School Blog

March 28, 2008 by Michael · 5 Comments
Filed under: Announcements

I am looking for partner bloggers to blog on LawVibe on topics relating to law – such as general law and legal topics, law school, being a law student, being a lawyer, starting your solo practice, law firm topics, etc. As of now I have no limits to the amount of bloggers I’d like to have on the LawVibe team – I have very high expectations of this site and can see LawVibe becoming the website of choice when people think about law websites, blogs, and forums.

I would prefer a blogger who has some experience either as a law student or in the legal field in general and with writing ability (no need to be Shakespeare either though, don’t get me wrong). I can handle most grammar/spelling editing (I will moderate your work initially) so no worries there. Don’t be afraid to apply if you’re a paralegal, still in law school, or in another legal-related profession, you’re more than welcome.

Coblogger Details

I would like consistent work from you – I’m looking for a minimum of one full sized article per week (500-2000 words each) for full-time writers.
Please give me examples of your writing – it may be in a blog format or otherwise.
If you currently run a law or legal related blog that is definitely a plus.

Benefits for youI really want this to be a team concept. We’re all a part of the LawVibe team pushing the website higher and higher. Of course, if our relationship goes well, profits generated from LawVibe will be shared with you – the more popular our website becomes, more money paid. So yes, this is a paid position.

Your public profile will be elevated – if you deliver consistent good content, you’ll have an author page on LawVibe to discuss yourself, a portrait, and future plans – definitely good for networking on the entire web.

There will be no real limits on the content you can create but of course inside the bounds of general law/legal topics – whether news or opinion pieces. I will be the content editor initially and can guide you if you need help with anything – including topic ideas. Initially I will moderate contributions.

Applications

If you are truly interested in this opportunity, if you want to join a forward-thinking team of LawVibe writers ready to lift LawVibe into the one of the top legal blogs on the internet, and you’re ready to commit yourself to consistent original new content, then make sure to apply and fill out the form. Thanks and good luck!