Institute for Justice
Liberty & Law
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Fired Up for a Fresh Start
Dario Gurrola lives and breathes firefighting. In hard-hit Northern California, he’s on the front line right now, serving his community by protecting homes and lives. And he couldn’t be more qualified. He’s done all the training, he has dozens of certifications, and this is his fourth season fighting wildfires. So what job does California prohibit…
New IJ Report Exposes More Ways Licensing Bars Americans From Working
Nearly one in five Americans needs a license to work, while roughly one in three has a criminal record. Together, these growing twin trends in overregulation and overcriminalization have made licensing laws a major roadblock for people who committed crimes, served out their punishments, and seek a fresh start. Thanks to IJ’s litigation, research, and…
Memphis’ Blight Court Left an Elderly Woman Homeless and Destitute—Now IJ Is Helping Her Fight Back
The Shelby County Environmental Court in Memphis, Tennessee, ruined Sarah Hohenberg’s life. The story of how this little-known housing court drove an elderly woman to homelessness and bankruptcy begins in 2009, when a tree fell on Sarah’s home and caused significant damage. While she worked to get her insurance to pay for repairs, Sarah’s neighbors…
IJ Launches Customized Legislative Service to Foster Recovery and Reform
For almost 30 years, IJ has defended the constitutional rights of everyday people—not just inside courtrooms but also within the communities where family homes are cherished, livelihoods are built, and dreams are pursued. Our commitment has not wavered during this tumultuous year. On the contrary, IJ is working harder and more creatively than ever to…
Real-World Results, in D.C. and Beyond
With the 2021 Initiative, IJ will go beyond simply identifying regulatory barriers. Instead, we’ll work side by side with officials to cut red tape for the business owners of today and the budding entrepreneurs of tomorrow. For an example of how we’ve done this before, look no further than our experience—and success—on the ground in…
IJ Defends Homeowners From Seattle’s Renovation Extortion
Andre and Erika Cherry moved to Seattle to start their life together. They spent years saving to buy their first home: a small two-bedroom bungalow built in 1916. The house needed significant work—new ceilings, new plumbing, new wiring, and actual stairs to reach the second floor—but it was what they could afford. In May 2019,…
Maximize Your Support Through Employer Matching Gifts
Did you know that an estimated $4–$7 BILLION in employer matching gift funds are unclaimed every year? With employer matching gifts, it is possible to double or even triple your donation to IJ in minutes! Many companies sponsor matching gift programs and will match most charitable contributions made by their employees. Some employers will even…
Ending Policing for Profit in the Palmetto State
Longtime readers of Liberty & Law know the fight to end civil forfeiture requires both persistence and creativity. In Philadelphia, for instance, IJ launched our first class action lawsuit to shut down the city’s massive forfeiture machine. And our groundbreaking studies, including our latest report exposing the Department of Homeland Security’s “jetway robbery,” show how…
Fasten Your Seatbelts: New IJ Study Finds Feds Seized $2 Billion From Air Travelers
In August, an exclusive story in The Washington Post made sure IJ’s newest report, Jetway Robbery? Homeland Security and Cash Seizures at Airports, really took off. The report is a first-of-its-kind study quantifying just how often Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies seize cash at airports—and just how much currency has flowed into the federal…
IJ’s Educational Choice Litigation Bonanza
In August’s Liberty & Law, we reported on IJ’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court victory, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue. Vindicating arguments IJ has been making for decades, the Court decisively removed the biggest single legal obstacle to educational choice. This victory could not have been better timed. America’s education system faces a once-in-a-generation disruption,…
Health Care Cons: A Survey
One of the cornerstones of IJ’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been an invigorated push against certificate of need (CON) laws, which require health care providers to obtain government permission before starting or expanding services. The result of an ill-fated attempt to prevent “oversupply,” CON laws have been slowly falling out of favor as…
IJ Makes Headlines
July 17, 2020 Sweeping Civil Forfeiture Reform Could Come In SC With Case Drawing National Attention July 27, 2020 Homeowners Told Permits For Their Home Renovation Will Cost An Extra $11,000, Thanks To Upzoning In Seattle July 30, 2020 Homeland Security Seized $2 billion From Travelers, But Most Were Never Charged With A…
