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
Housing Abundance and Affordability | Private Property | Zoning Justice Project
Minnesota ADU
Blaine, Minnesota
Alex and Lynda Pepin believe in using what they have to help others. So when their hometown—Blaine, Minnesota—recently passed a law allowing homeowners to build backyard homes (known as accessory dwelling units, or ADUs), they saw an opportunity to help. Motivated by their faith and years of work with local nonprofits, the Pepins decided to build an ADU behind their…
Wyoming School Choice
CHEYENNE — Today, on behalf of Wyoming families, the Partnership for Educational Choice, a joint project of EdChoice and the Institute for Justice, filed a motion to intervene as defendants in the lawsuit brought…
Eminent Domain | Private Property
James Island Eminent Domain
Imagine a developer who thoughtfully deliberates about what type of business would be best suited for an area. He meets with residents to address their concerns. He painstakingly implements every suggestion, even if he doesn’t…
Eminent Domain | Private Property
Perth Amboy, NJ Blight
Honey Meerzon and Luis Romero came from different backgrounds but have many things in common. Their parents both fled oppressive government regimes in search of a better life for their children. They have both worked…
Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing
Louisiana Hair Braiding
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,…
Commercial Speech | First Amendment | Sign Codes
Mandan, ND Mural
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…
Code Enforcement | Fines and Fees | Private Property
Dunedin, FL Foreclosure
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…
4th Amendment Project | Fines and Fees | Private Property
Chicago Impound
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 Forfeiture FOIA
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…
Indiana Eyeglasses
Indiana bans healthcare providers from conducting online eye tests, to protect established businesses from competition.
Fines and Fees | First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Private Property
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.
Eminent Domain | Private Property
Pennsylvania Pipeline Eminent Domain
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…
Economic Liberty | First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Transportation
Great Lakes Pilot
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…
South Padre Island Food Trucks
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…
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…
Economic Liberty | First Amendment | Occupational Speech
Virginia Teaching
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…