IJ's Cases
Economic Liberty
Attorneys Petition for Reduced Burden in Licensing of Lawyers
After a successful petition from IJ, the Minnesota Supreme Court decided to ease licensing requirements on attorneys in Minnesota. This was a victory for all attorneys, giving them more flexibility regarding how they earn credits toward their license.
Rule of Law | Unjust Proceedings
Illinois Family Sues to End Law Threatening Them With Compulsory Eviction for a Crime They Did Not Commit
Granite City, Illinois is trying to kick Andy Simpson and Debi Brumit out of their home for a crime they didn’t commit. Andy and Debi are fighting back with IJ to uphold the basic principle that people can’t be punished for crimes they did not commit.
First Amendment
Charlottesville Treats Members of Its Creative Community Like ATMs
The city of Charlottesville and Albemarle County have decided to require a license for freelance writers and have made writers pay thousands in back taxes. This irrational law favors some speakers, like the traditional press, over other types of writers. That’s why two novelists are working with IJ to challenge it.
Commercial Speech | First Amendment | Food Freedom
Mississippi Makes Selling “Veggie Burgers” a Crime
In 2019, after lobbying from the meat industry, Mississippi banned plant-based burgers from using meat-related words, such as burger or hotdog, in their marketing. IJ stepped in to represent plant-based companies in a First Amendment challenge to this law, and eventually the state backed down.
Economic Liberty | Health
Texas Bans Doctors from Offering Medication to Their Patients Just to Protect Pharmacies from Competition
In most states, patients can purchase medication directly from the doctor prescribing it. But in Texas, doctors are banned from dispensing unless they practice in certain “rural” areas more than 15 miles from a pharmacy—a condition that prevents the overwhelming majority of Texas doctors from providing this beneficial service. Dr. Michael Garrett has teamed up with IJ to push back against this unconstitutional ban.
Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing
Louisiana Hair Braiders Fight For Right To Earn An Honest Living
Hair-braiders in Louisiana are required to complete 500 hours of unnecessary and irrelevant training, pass an exam and pay annual licensing fees just to do their job. Many hair braiders have moved to neighboring states, but one braiders has joined forces with IJ to end this unconstitutional licensing scheme.
Commercial Speech | First Amendment | Sign Codes
Mandan's "mural police" goes after art the city does not like
In 2019, the city of Mandan told Augie and Brian they’d have to remove their mural because it promoted a business. Augie and Brian successfully teamed up with IJ to stop the town’s law which clearly violated the free speech rights of individuals and businesses.
Fines and Fees | Private Property | Rule of Law
Florida Man Could Lose His Home For Having Long Grass
Nobody should lose their home because their grass is too long, but that’s exactly what the city of Dunedin is trying to do to Jim Ficken. Jim and IJ are fighting back against these excessive fines and fees in court, to protect the property rights of everyone.
Fines and Fees | Private Property | Rule of Law
The Windy City Tows the Cars of Innocent People and Holds Them for Ransom
Chicago is towing the cars of innocent people and holding them for ransom. Victims of this unjust system are taking a stand, with IJ’s help, and calling for an end to this impound racket.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Pennsylvania newspaper fights local district attorney to make forfeiture records public
Americans have a right to know details about misdeeds being committed by their government. LancasterOnline, a publication in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, worked with IJ to ensure citizens have access to information about what police are taking from them through the process of civil forfeiture.
Economic Liberty | Health
Indiana Bans Online Eye Tests to Protect Established Businesses from Competition
Indiana bans healthcare providers from conducting online eye tests, to protect established businesses from competition.
Rule of Law | Unjust Proceedings
Norco, CA Enforcement Fees
Ron Mugar successfully saved his home in court from being taken by the city in a process called a receivership. But the receiver nonetheless charged Ron over $60,000 for “obstructive tactics” just for defending himself. IJ challenged these fees, but the California Supreme Court unfortunately refused to hear Ron’s appeal.
Eminent Domain | Private Property
Pipelines & Eminent Domain: Take Now, Pay (Much) Later
A pipeline company abused eminent domain to take property from the Erbs without paying them for the taking. IJ petitioned the Supreme Court to take the Erbs’ case, but unfortunately the court declined to hear it.
Economic Liberty | First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Transportation
Coast Guard-empowered private association concocts reasons to keep an experienced captain from working
Captain Matthew Hight thought he would earn a living navigating cargo carriers on the Great Lakes. Instead, an unholy alliance of a federal bureaucracy and a legalized monopoly suddenly rendered him a castaway. Now he’s launching a second voyage with the IJ to get his job back and ensure that no one else has their livelihood taken away because the government has delegated lawmaking power to a self-interested private organization.
Economic Liberty | Vending
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 from picking winners and losers, which is why food truck operators have partnered with IJ to challenge the regulation.
First Amendment
Government Gag Orders
Government officials cannot be allowed to use the threat of overwhelming penalties and costly litigation to coerce people into forfeiting their First Amendment rights to speak freely. That is why the Cato Institute has joined forces with IJ to file a lawsuit challenging the SEC’s nationwide practice of demanding gag orders as a condition of settlement and to seek a court order allowing Cato to tell one man’s story notwithstanding the gag order in place.
Economic Liberty | First Amendment | Occupational Speech
License to Teach? Virginia Stops Family Business From Teaching Useful Job Skills
Jon and Tracy McGlothian wanted to teach job skills to adults in Virginia, but the state told them they could not do so without a license. With IJ’s help, Jon and Tracy were able to successfully challenge this unconstitutional law and begin enrolling students.
Economic Liberty
Can States Bar Newcomers from Owning a Business?
A Tennessee law required that in order to open a liquor store, one must be a Tennessee resident for two years. With help from IJ, Doug and Mary Ketchum challenged this law, bringing it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where the law was struck down as unconstitutional.
Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Fresh Start | Occupational Licensing
Law Denies Women Right to Work Because of Irrelevant Criminal Convictions
A Pennsylvania law prevented Amanda and Courtney from earning an honest living because of unrelated criminal records. After IJ stepped in to defend their rights, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled this law was unconstitutional.
Economic Liberty | Vending
Food Truck Owners Challenge One of the Most Anti-Competitive Vending Restrictions in the Country
Fort Pierce, Florida used to have an incredibly restrictive rule that banned food trucks from operating within 500 feet of a brick-and-mortar restaurant. After two food truck operators partnered with IJ, a court ruled the ordinance was unconstitutional and the city repealed it.
4th Amendment Project | Private Property | Rental Inspections
Class Action Lawsuit Challenges Seattle’s Mandatory Rental Inspection Law
A group of landlords and tenants worked together with IJ to challenge a Seattle law that allows city officials to inspect rental properties without a warrant. Unfortunately, after minor reforms were made, a court allowed this invasive law to stand.
Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property | Private Solutions to Public Problems | Right to Shelter
Akron Homeless Advocate Sues for Right to Shelter the Homeless
Sage Lewis is using his commercial property to build a community for those experiencing homelessness, with the hope of helping them transition from the streets to permanent housing. The city of Akron is attempting to use its zoning code to shut him down, but he has joined with IJ to fight back.
Economic Liberty | Vending
No Meals on Wheels—Wisconsin Town Stops Family Business From Operating State-Licensed Food Truck on Its Own Private Property
The town of Gibraltar and Door County, Wisconsin once had full-blown ban on food vending trucks, that is until IJ stepped in. After hearing IJ’s case on behalf of food truck operators, a Door County Circuit Court judge ruled the ban violated the Wisconsin Constitution.
Economic Liberty | First Amendment | Health | Occupational Licensing | Occupational Speech
Texas Veterinarian Renews Fight to Give Professional Advice Online
Ron Hines is a veterinarian who offers advice online to customers all over the country, but Texas said his speech was illegal. Now his case can move ahead on First Amendment grounds.
Economic Liberty | Vending
Food-Truck Owners Challenge Ban on Competition
In late August 2018, a little over a week after IJ launched a lawsuit, challenging Carolina Beach’s food truck restrictions, the town repealed its food truck restrictions due to the threat of IJ’s lawsuit.
Educational Choice | Publicly Funded Scholarships
Maine Families Fight for School Choice in U.S. Supreme Court Appeal
The Case Victory! In a landmark 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court held that school choice programs must be neutral regarding…
Commercial Speech | First Amendment | Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property
Outdated Federal Law Threatens Unique Richmond Publisher
Valancourt Books, in Richmond, Virginia, has partnered with IJ to challenge a federal law that requires book publishers to provide two free copies of every book it publishes or face fines that could total in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Educational Choice
Lawsuit Challenges Religious Discrimination in Washington Work-Study Program
Summit Christian Academy wanted to hire college students to be tutors under the state’s work-study program, but Washington officials barred the academy from doing so, simply because it’s a religious school. After IJ got involved in the case, Washington repealed its “sectarian” exclusion, ending this discriminatory practice.
Economic Liberty | Health
North Carolina CONs Patients: Outdated Law Prevents Doctor From Providing Transparently Priced, Low-Cost MRI Scans
In Spring 2020, Dr. Gajendra Singh had to close his imaging center, in part because of the enormous costs imposed by the CON law. As a result, Dr. Singh’s lawsuit could not continue, but shortly thereafter IJ joined up with an ophthalmologist from New Bern, NC, to file a new challenge to North Carolina’s CON law.
Economic Liberty | First Amendment | Occupational Licensing | Occupational Speech
Mississippi Regulatory Board Sues Tech Entrepreneurs to Prevent Competition
An overly-broad statute defined a small mapping company in Mississippi as an “unlicensed surveying” company. This statute would have shut down Vizaline, but with help from IJ, Vizaline fought back to protect its First Amendment right to generate and disseminate information to advise their clients.
