Texas Office
IJ’s Texas office opened in 2008, focusing primarily on constitutional litigation. Its attorneys litigate cases in state and federal courts in Texas and around the country.
IJ-TX fights to protect Texans’ private property rights, economic liberty and freedom of speech. Many of its cases involve entrepreneurs who have encountered government-imposed roadblocks to their right to earn an honest living. These clients have included street vendors, interior designers, horse-teeth floaters, computer technicians and eyebrow threaders. IJ-TX recently won an important federal court case that protects the right of natural hair braiders to teach the next generation of braiders without having first to build a large and expensive barber college. This case was decided under precedent established by a previous case IJ brought on behalf of the monks of Saint Joseph Abbey, showing how IJ’s cutting-edge approach to litigation builds on itself to protect more and more constitutional liberties over time.
Texas has been an important battleground in IJ’s fight to protect private property. IJ-TX is currently representing a group of Texas craft brewers who are challenging a law that requires them to give away part of their businesses to politically connected beer distributors—for free. Previously, IJ-TX has challenged civil asset forfeiture in Texas on behalf of the owner of a Chevrolet pickup truck who had his truck taken away from him, even though he was never charged with a crime.
IJ-TX has also represented Texans when the government attempted to stifle their speech. These cases include representing the author of a book about eminent domain who was sued for defamation by a rich developer; small-business owners in Dallas who fought for their right to put signs in their windows; and a Brownsville veterinarian who was shut down for talking to people about their pets over the Internet.
In addition to litigation, IJ-TX advocates on behalf of the powerless for statewide legislative change. In 2009, IJ’s Texas office played a pivotal role in the passage of an amendment to the Texas Constitution to better protect property owners from eminent domain abuse. IJ-TX continues to fight every legislative session for Texans’ right to economic liberty, private property, free speech and school choice. IJ-TX has also been involved in activism projects and local legislative changes in San Antonio, El Paso, Houston and Dallas.
Finally, IJ takes pride in training future attorneys and activists. If you would like an attorney from IJ’s Texas office to speak to your school or organization, or if you are a law student interested in clerking at IJ, please contact [email protected].
Texas Team
Directions to IJ-Texas Office
The Institute for Justice Texas office is located on the 9th Floor of the IBC Bank building at the corner of 9th Street and Congress Avenue in downtown Austin. Please park in the IBC Bank parking garage (the entrance to the garage is on 9th street).
816 Congress Ave, Suite 960
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 480-5936
Fax: (512) 480-5937
Law Student Clerkships
To apply for semester clerkships in our Texas office, please submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample via email to [email protected] . If you are interested in applying for a summer clerkship please visit our Students page.
Guest Speaker Information
If you would like to invite an Institute for Justice attorney to a debate or to speak to your group. please email [email protected]. To see if there are any events near you, go to our Speakers & Events page.