A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP Wondering if court ordered 12-step attendance is illegal? You're not the only one. This article is not intended to convey legal advice, which can only be provided by an attorney licensed in your state.  What follows is an addiction psychologist’s summary of a legal issue he has been following for over a decade. You might also be interested in: Mental Health Among Drug Court Participants in Drug Treatment The “establishment” and “free exercise” clauses of the US Constitution’s 1st Amendment state that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”  In everyday speech we say that there is “separation of church and state” in the US.  Our religious or spiritual beliefs (or lack of them) are our p...