Arif Panju serves as a managing attorney with the Institute for Justice. He leads IJ’s Texas office while also litigating cutting-edge constitutional cases protecting property rights, economic liberty, free speech, and educational choice.
Arif’s work has resulted in court victories nationwide for tour guides challenging restrictions on their speech, hair braiders fighting for economic liberty, food truck entrepreneurs facing anticompetitive restrictions, parents relying on choice programs to direct their child’s education, and many others. In the U.S. Supreme Court, Arif second-chaired Carson v. Makin in which the Court held that states violate the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. Constitution when they exclude religious educational options from school choice programs. In the Texas Supreme Court, Arif helped secure a landmark victory in Patel v. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which held that the Texas Constitution requires meaningful judicial scrutiny of economic restrictions on liberty and property. His current cases focus on vindicating property rights against civil forfeiture and zoning abuses, protecting economic liberty, and defending educational choice.
Arif’s work at IJ has been featured by dozens of outlets including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Houston Chronicle, and Texas Monthly. His views on legal issues have been published in outlets ranging from USA Today to the Dallas Morning News.
Arif graduated law school with honors from Southern Methodist University. He lives in Austin with his family.
Arif's Cases
Texas Entrepreneur Fights a City’s Unconstitutional Dumpster Monopoly
The Texas Constitution forbids monopolies. So, a Waxahachie dumpster rental company is suing after the city granted a monopoly to a single national waste company.
Economic Liberty | Fresh Start
Denied the Right to Work, Texas Women Sue State to End Unconstitutional Ban for Social Work
Two woman who overcame addiction and earned master's degrees in social work challenge a Texas law that permanently bars them from helping others because of old convictions.
Educational Choice | Publicly Funded Scholarships
Utah Families Defend Program That Expands Educational Opportunity
Utah families intervene to defend the Utah Fits All scholarship program, so that families have more choice with their children's' educational opportunities.
Economic Liberty | Private Property | Small and Home-Based Business | Zoning Justice Project
Mechanic Challenges City of Pasadena's Mandatory Parking Minimum
Azael Sepulveda recently purchased a new mechanic shop, but the city of Pasadena will not let him open until he provides 28 parking spaces, which he does not need. Azael has partnered with IJ to…
4th Amendment Project | Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Class Action Lawsuit Seeks to Dismantle Houston’s Illegal and Unconstitutional Forfeiture Machine
Harris County, Texas, has an unconstitutional financial incentive for law enforcement to seize property and cash excessively without probable cause, often sweeping up innocent people in the process. Ameal Woods and Jordan Davis are two…
Economic Liberty | Eminent Domain | Private Property
Family-Owned Hardware Store Sues Long Island Town Trying to Take Away their Property
The Brinkmann family owns hardware stores in Long Island and purchased property with the hope of opening a new store. The town now wants to take the land through eminent domain, simply because they don’t…
Educational Choice | Publicly Funded Scholarships
Tennessee Parents Intervene in Court to Defend Education Savings Account Program
In 2019, Tennessee enacted an Education Savings Account that helped thousands of low-and-middle-income students receive a quality education. A year later, the mayor of Nashville announced a lawsuit attacking the program. A group of Tennessee…
Texas Food Trucks Sue for Right to Compete on South Padre Island
South Padre Island caps the number of food trucks in town at 12 and requires that all food trucks have a restaurant owner’s sign off on their permit applications. The Texas Constitution prevents the government…
Derby City Betting Against Food Trucks
City Council members in Louisville worked closely with established brick-and-mortar restaurants to keep out food truck competition. IJ secured a federal court order barring the city from discriminating against food trucks and then successfully worked…
Economic Liberty | Food Freedom | Private Property
Beer Bounty: Texas Craft Brewers Sue Over New Law That Requires Them to Give Part of Their Businesses to Distributors for Free
A Texas law is forcing craft brewers to give up millions of dollars of valuable property to politically connected beer distributors.
Educational Choice | Tax Credit Scholarships
Alabama Parents Join Legal Battle To Protect School Choice
Alabama has created a unique, refundable tax credit program that offers a lifeline to families to help them escape failing public schools if they lack the financial resources to do so.
Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing
Should African hair braiders have to build an entire barber college and become barbering instructors just to teach hair braiding? Texas officials think so.
Texas tried to force natural hair braiding schools to convert into fully-equipped barber colleges—solely to teach hair braiding—even though braiders aren’t barbers.
Economic Liberty | Occupational Licensing | Teeth Whitening
Alabama Smiles: Entrepreneurs Fight Back Against Teeth-Whitening Monopolies
Alabama’s prohibition on non-dentist teeth whitening has nothing to do with protecting consumers and everything to do with protecting monopoly profits for dentists.
Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Occupational Licensing
Hanging by a Thread: Texas Eyebrow Threaders Fight Irrational Licensing
Eyebrow threading is a booming industry in Texas. But state bureaucrats are making it difficult for individuals to continue practicing this ancient art.
Arif's Amicus Briefs
Marfil v. City of New Braunfels, Texas
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Texas Department of Insurance and Cassie Brown v. Stonewater Roofing, Ltd. Co.
Supreme Court of Texas
Villarreal v. Laredo
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Violet Dock Port v. Heaphy
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
Morello v. Seaway Crude Pipeline
Supreme Court of Texas
KMS Retail v. Rowlett
Texas Supreme Court
Arif's News, Articles & Publications
Arif's Podcasts
November 07, 2025
Short Circuit 401 | Government Fails Rational Basis Test for Once
The balance between free speech, campus order, and fighting antisemitism has been a major flashpoint the last couple of years and it just hit the […]
Listen Now