Featured Cases
Fines and Fees | Private Property
Alaska Pilot Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Stop State from Taking His $95,000 Airplane for Passenger’s Beer
Alaska
April 3rd, 2012, began like any other day for Ken Jouppi, a longtime bush pilot in Alaska. He was scheduled to fly a passenger and her groceries from Fairbanks to the village of Beaver. Hidden in the passenger’s luggage, though, were two cases of Budweiser, along with four additional six-packs. They were intended as a gift to her husband,…
Immunity and Accountability | Private Property
US Citizen and Army Veteran George Retes Sues Over Unconstitutional Immigration Detention
George Retes, a U.S. citizen and Iraq War veteran, was detained for three days after encountering an ICE roadblock on his way to work.
Fines and Fees | Private Property
Family Farm Facing Ruinous Fines Sues Agency that Acts as Prosecutor, Judge and Jury
In 2016, the Department of Labor demanded $550,000 from a family farm in southern New Jersey. In their case, the agency served as prosecutor, judge, and jury, and the agency won every time. The brothers…
Eminent Domain | Private Property
Stiffed by a Pipeline Company Wielding Eminent Domain, Plains Ranchers Appeal to U.S. Supreme Court
North Dakota ranchers fought a pipeline company with eminent domain power for the fair value of their land. But an appeals court said the company did not have to pay the ranchers’ attorney fees. That…
IJ Protects COnstitutional Rights
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.
See IJ’s Supreme Court Cases
Economic Liberty | Occupational Licensing | Teeth Whitening
A Reason to Smile in the Constitution State: Entrepreneurs Challenge Connecticut’s Teeth-Whitening Monopoly
Connecticut’s prohibition on non-dentist teeth whitening was never about protecting consumers; it was about protecting dentists from honest competition.
Arizona Citizen Files First Amendment Lawsuit Challenging Speech Regulations
Arizona wants to bar people from joining together to protest local ballot measures without first registering with the government.
Private Property | Rental Caps
Slamming the Door on Rental Bans: Winona Homeowners Stand Up for Their Property Rights
Government officials in Winona, Minn., are imposing a restriction on the number of homeowners who can rent out their properties, harming both homeowners and renters alike. Not only is this policy unwise, it is also…
Protecting Citizen Speech: Lawsuit Challenging Constitutionality of Mississippi Campaign Finance Regulations Continues Nationwide Campaign
Thanks to Mississippi’s burdensome campaign finance laws, groups of concerned citizens need more than just their opinions to speak about politics. They also need a lawyer.
Economic Liberty | Transportation
Charting a New Course for Economic Liberty: Challenging Lake Chelan’s Government-Imposed Ferry Monopoly Under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Privileges or Immunities Clause
Jim and Cliff Courtney have a plan to bring economic prosperity to their small community. Unfortunately, the state of Washington has sunk their plan with a law that requires them to obtain a certificate of…
Vindicating the Right to Earn an Honest Living Under the Florida Constitution: IJ Files Suit on Behalf of Vendors in Hialeah, Fla.
Street vendors are a core part of the American Dream. But Hialeah, Fla., needlessly makes it difficult for street vendors to earn an honest living.
