Justice Has A New Address

December 2005

Justice Has A New Address

By Chip Mellor

“The proven combination of entrepreneurial energy, strategic vision and staff talent that has brought us this far will make IJ more effective than ever in the coming years.”

NEW ADDRESS

Institute for Justice 901 North Glebe Road Suite 900 Arlington, VA 22203 p (703) 682-9320 f (703) 682-9321

The Institute for Justice has a new home and we invite you to come by! On October 28, IJ moved across the Potomac River to Arlington, Va., and when you visit, you’ll see staff busy at work in space designed to reflect the Institute’s culture of openness and easy interactivity. Occupying most of the 9th floor in a brand new office building, we will have room to grow over the next 10 years. (Indeed, one attractive aspect of the move is the chance to get 60 percent more space for only 20 percent more in rent.) And we are just a short Metro or cab ride from the District of Columbia, easily accessible for any of you with business in the nation’s capital.

Upon entering, you’ll observe a distinctively contemporary layout with innovative space for team meetings and litigation crunches. Throughout our new offices, the story of IJ is reflected in displays that bring home all we have accomplished and underscores the boundless potential of the Institute for Justice.

When we started IJ, we thought it was important as a fledgling organization to have an address in the District of Columbia. But while we’ve been in D.C., we’ve never been of D.C. Our work occurs across the nation, and we are not part of the political scene in Washington. So whatever cachet was once attached to being in D.C. waned over the years in the face of extremely high rents, increasing traffic congestion and numerous interruptions over security alerts. (In fact, since 9/11 we’ve lost about 15 days of work due to various disruptions and threats to the nearby White House and World Bank.)

People ask me where I see IJ in 5 or 10 years. My answer is always the same. Each year since our founding we have exceeded our goals and made the most of unanticipated opportunities. That has led to an IJ that, quite frankly, is far more successful than we ever dared dream when we started. There never has been and never will be a simple linear path to success. So I can’t tell you exactly what IJ will look like in 10 years. But I can tell you this with confidence: the proven combination of entrepreneurial energy, strategic vision and staff talent that has brought us this far will make IJ more effective than ever in the coming years.

By offering space perfectly designed to let these dynamics play out most effectively, our new home promises to offer an important new boost to our quest for justice. This is one more way in which we make sure that your investment in IJ will achieve the highest return. So as you consider your tax-deductible year-end contributions, please help us move into our new headquarters and begin the New Year with the greatest possible momentum.

With your support, we will take IJ to even greater heights.

Chip Mellor is IJ’s president and general counsel.