In a recent blog post at inversecondemnation.com, our friend Robert Thomas asks about the long-debated question: how do you pronounce RLUIPA? Generally, RLUIPA is pronounced as either: “ruh-loo-pah” or “are-loo-pah.” Getting the judge to pronounce it first is a good practice tip, but which of the two is correct?

Marci Hamilton, the Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, one of the foremost experts on RLUIPA, has set the record straight; RLUIPA rhymes with chalupa, a dish some describe as as “a crispy shelled Mexican recipe that tastes like heaven.” In other words, the correct pronunciation is “are-loo-pah.” Professor Hamilton would know, as she was one of only a handful of professors of law and legal scholars invited to advise Congress on RLUIPA during its legislative debate.

While we are at it, we may as well clear up another word that has proven difficult to pronounce Boerne, as in City of Boerne v. Flores, the case that struck down the Religious Freedom Restoration Act as unconstitutional. Using two critically acclaimed films to illustrate the correct pronunciation, Boerne is pronounced “Bernie,” as in Weekend at Bernie’s, and not “born” as in The Boerne Identity. Professor Hamilton successfully argued the case.