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
First Amendment | Sign Codes
High school art class painted donut mural for bakery, town demands their work be painted over
Conway, New Hampshire
Leavitt’s Country Bakery Owner Sean Young filed a federal lawsuit against the town of Conway, after town officials demanded he paint over a mural that was created by local high school students last summer.
Educational Choice | Publicly Funded Scholarships
Alaska School Choice
As a sparsely populated state, Alaska faces unique challenges in ensuring that all children can receive an education. To address this concern, the state created “correspondence programs,” in which a student’s public school used the…
First Amendment | Occupational Speech
Right to Provide Legal Advice
Cases Rev. John S. Udo-Okon at Word of Life International Church in the Bronx When wealthy Americans face legal troubles, they have a lot of sources of advice. Legions of lawyers, business consultants, accountants…
Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property
Seattle Housing Affordability
Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability law is making it unaffordable to build housing.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Fleecing Schools and Turning Law Enforcers Into Lawbreakers
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
This Ends Now: Enforcing New Mexico’s Landmark Civil Forfeiture Reform To Shut Down The Albuquerque Forfeiture Machine
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
IJ to IRS: Give Back This Money
The message from the Institute for Justice, which represents Ken and Randy, to the IRS is simple: If you’ve taken something that doesn’t belong to you, give it back.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Government to Air Travelers: Sit Back, Give Us Your Cash and Enjoy Your Flight
Charles Clarke is one of thousands of Americans whose cash has been seized at an airport through civil forfeiture, which allows law enforcement to seize cash and property without ever charging anyone with any crime.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Government Unreformed: IRS Seizes $107,000 From Innocent Small Business, Despite Recent Policy Changes Meant To Prevent Exactly This Kind Of Case
Lyndon McLellan has spent more than a decade running L&M Convenience Mart, a gas station, restaurant, and convenience store in rural Fairmont, North Carolina. Then, one year ago, without any warning, agents from the IRS…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
HELD UP: Feds Use Civil Forfeiture To Seize More than $446,000 From Innocent Family Business; Deny Hearing for More than Two Years.
The Hirsch brothers have done nothing wrong, yet the IRS seized their entire bank account.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
TAKEN: Feds Seize Family Restaurant’s Entire Bank Account Innocent Owners Fight Back
The IRS seized Carole’s money using civil forfeiture, which allows law enforcement agencies to take cash, cars and other property without so much as charging the property owner with a crime.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Fighting the Philadelphia Forfeiture Machine: Philadelphia Deprives People of Their Rights While Trying to Forfeit and Profit from Their Property
Police and prosecutors use civil forfeiture to strip thousands of Americans of their rights and property. Nowhere is the problem more rampant than in Philadelphia.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Taken: Federal Lawsuit in Michigan Challenges Forfeiture Abuse
Without warning, the federal government used civil forfeiture to seize all of the money from the Dehkos’ store bank account—more than $35,000—even though they’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Fighting Civil Forfeiture: Federal & Local Law Enforcement Agencies Team Up to Profit by Subverting California State Law
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Fighting Civil Forfeiture Abuse: Federal & Local Law Enforcement Agencies Try to Take Family Motel from Innocent Owners
