The San Francisco law school is entitled to require official student organizations to "accept all comers as members, even if those individuals disagree with the mission of the group," the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled. It said the school's policy is "viewpoint-neutral" and does not violate the rights of theChristian Legal Society.

The brief ruling cited the court's decision last year allowing a Washington state high school to deny recognition to a student Bible club that required members to endorse its religious creed. The club asked the U.S. Supreme Court last week to review that case.

Both rulings allow public schools to "require religious organizations to include people in their groups who disagree with what the religious groups believe," said attorney Jeremy Tedesco of the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal organization that is involved in both cases on behalf of the student groups. "That's a violation of the First Amendment, free speech and freedom of religion."

Ethan Schulman, a lawyer for UC Hastings, said Tuesday's ruling allows the school to apply its nondiscrimination policy to any group seeking recognition and a share of the funding that goes to organizations from mandatory student fees.

The Christian Legal Society's arguments "would carve a gaping loophole in those nondiscrimination policies" and "force the law school to subsidize discriminatory groups," Schulman said.

Last month, in San Diego, a federal judge ruled that the California State University system could rely on its nondiscrimination policy to deny recognition to Christian student organizations.

The Virginia-based Christian Legal Society says it has chapters in 165 law schools, consisting of evangelical Christians who meet for Bible study and discussions about applying their faith to the practice of law.

Initially, the Hastings chapter, Hastings Christian Fellowship, was open to all students and was eligible for funding, office space and inclusion in official publications.

However, starting in 2004, the chapter - apparently following a new national policy - required members to endorse a "statement of faith" and barred anyone who engaged in "unrepentant homosexual conduct."

Hastings then withdrew recognition but still allowed the organization to meet on campus. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White ruled in Hastings' favor in 2006, saying its policy was reasonable and left the religious group free to determine its membership.

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