For almost two years, IJ was locked in a legal battle with national and Indiana teachers’ unions who tried to eliminate the Hoosier State’s statewide school choice program. On March 26, we—and the families we represented in the litigation—won a decisive victory that saved the program from the unions’ legal assault. In a unanimous decision,…
Dr. Ron Hines is a Texas-licensed veterinarian who is semi-retired and disabled due to an on-the-job accident. For more than a decade, he has used the Internet to give advice to pet owners around the world to help them solve vexing pet health problems. He sometimes charges a small fee, which helps him screen the…
It takes guts to go up against local, state and even the federal government. But that is exactly what the IJ Washington Chapter has done for the past decade, earning successes that have cleared the way for entrepreneurs to thrive and protesters to speak. On a beautiful sunny evening this past April, the Institute for…
Everyone wants an attractive smile, which is why teeth whitening is a rapidly growing industry. But thanks to lobbying by licensed dentists, Alabama—like a growing number of states—has made it a crime to sell teeth-whitening products, even if customers apply those products to their own teeth. Now, two teeth-whitening entrepreneurs are fighting back. Keith Westphal…
Anyone wanting a brighter smile at lower prices should take note of IJ’s newest strategic research report. White Out: How Dental Industry Insiders Thwart Competition from Teeth-whitening Entrepreneurs (available at: www.ij.org/white-out) shows how dentists and dental industry interests are trying to use the power of government to monopolize the lucrative field of teeth whitening, shutting…
In March, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous final decision in favor of the casket-making monks of Saint Joseph Abbey. The Louisiana State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors now intends to seek review in the U.S. Supreme Court, setting up what could be a historic clash over the right to…
Many of us have worked for a business owner and thought, “You know, I could do that.” And, many IJ supporters at one point or another in their lives have not only thought that, but have gone on to start their own businesses. It’s the American Dream. But, if you were a taxi driver in…
As loyal readers of Liberty & Law will remember from our December issue, IJ is devoted to identifying opportunities to advance economic liberty for transportation entrepreneurs like taxi drivers nationwide. That devotion has allowed us to bring constitutional lawsuits in key jurisdictions across the country and also to bring less traditional cases like our representation…
After months of preparation, the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Law School held a marvelous conference for food entrepreneurs—Recipe for Success: How to Start and Build a Food Business in Chicago. About 200 attendees learned more about how to start a food-related business in Chicago. The stream of aspiring…