The Institute for Justice litigates to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans. IJ defends ordinary people who want to earn an honest living, own and enjoy their property, speak freely, and give their children a good education but find that the government is standing in their way.
We fight to hold government officials accountable when they violate constitutional rights and to prevent governments at all levels from bending the rules to expand their power or advance illegitimate ends.
IJ wins three out of four cases through outright courtroom victories or legislative change prompted by our lawsuits.
Featured Cases
Educational Choice | Publicly Funded Scholarships
South Carolina ESAs
Columbia, South Carolina
In 2023, South Carolina created the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (“ESTF”) program. This student aid program grants thousands of qualifying, low-income families a $6,000 scholarship that parents can use for educational expenses for their children—things like tuition and fees at private and out-of-district public schools, curricula and supplies for homeschooling, tutoring, therapies, exams, and extracurricular activities. A new constitutional lawsuit…
First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability
Atmore, Alabama Retaliation
Four residents of a small Alabama county were targeted for retaliation by a district attorney and sheriff. Now, they are suing with IJ to protect their constitutional rights.
Economic Liberty | Fresh Start
Texas Fresh Start Social Worker
Texas—and the country—face a two-fold problem: an exploding mental health and substance abuse crisis and a dire shortage of professional social workers to address those issues. Yet rather than make it easier for qualified applicants…
4th Amendment Project | Private Property
Norfolk, VA Camera Surveillance
Norfolk, Virginia has installed more than 170 cameras across the city that watch drivers’ every movement. Now, two Norfolk-area residents have teamed up with the Institute for Justice to file a federal lawsuit challenging the…
4th Amendment Project | Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
DEA and TSA Airport Forfeitures
Retired railroad engineer Terry Rolin’s life savings were seized by the government, but he hasn’t been charged with any crime. Now he and his daughter are working with IJ to get his money back and…
Economic Liberty | First Amendment | Occupational Licensing
Arizona Engineering Licensing
Greg Mills has been an engineer for more than 30 years, but now a group of industry insiders on a government board are saying he needs a license he does not actually need. IJ and…
Kentucky CON
Two Nepali immigrants wanted to open a home health care business to help people in their community, but Kentucky law let their potential competitors stop them from opening up. The two have teamed up with…
Immunity and Accountability | Private Property
Lech v. City of Greenwood Village
Police destroyed the home of Leo and Alfonsina Lech while pursuing a fugitive and refused to pay for the damage that was caused. While the Supreme Court declined to hear the Lechs’ case, IJ is…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Miami Forfeiture Attorneys’ Fees
Miladis Salgado returned home one day to find the DEA had seized her life savings, even though she did nothing wrong. Her money was eventually given back to her, but the government should not be…
Eminent Domain | Private Property
Woodcrest Homes, Inc. v. Carousel Farms Metro. Dis
Imagine if two of your neighbors got together, claimed they established a new town, and then “voted” to take your property from you using eminent domain. Crazy, right? Not in Colorado, where the owners of…
Fines and Fees | Private Property
Washington Street Fees
Linda Cameron wanted to add a bedroom and bathroom to her modest home, but the city of Richland told her she’d first have to pay for renovations to the city’s streets adjoining her property. The…
4th Amendment Project | Private Property | Rental Inspections
Zion, Illinois Rental Inspections
Josefina Lozano and three of her tenants have joined with IJ to file a federal lawsuit to shut down the city of Zion’s warrantless inspection program, which allows the city to intrude on the privacy…
Educational Choice | Tax Credit Scholarships
Nevada Tax Credit Scholarships
In 2019, lawmakers in Nevada passed a law that undermines the state’s successful school choice program by reducing the number of available tax credits. Nevada parents, a scholarship organization, and private donors teamed up with…
Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
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…
Granite City Compulsory Evictions
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…
Charlottesville Writer Tax
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,…