Arlington, Va.—The Institute for Justice (IJ) is happy to announce that NYU Law Professor Richard Epstein is the recipient of IJ’s first ever “Champion of the Constitution” Award.

“Richard Epstein’s path-breaking scholarship places him among the most influential law professors in the past 50 years,” said Institute for Justice President and General Counsel Chip Mellor. “But his steadfast defense of the constitutional principles of limited government, private property rights and individual liberty elevates him even further. With strikingly original thinking and tireless advocacy, he has been a true champion of the Constitution.”

Professor Epstein was selected by Legal Affairs readers as one of the most influential legal thinkers of modern times. He is the inaugural Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Law at the New York University School of Law, the Peter and Kirsten Bedford Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, and a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School.

The Institute for Justice’s relationship with Professor Epstein dates back to IJ’s founding. In addition to offering advice and insights on constitutional law, Professor Epstein collaborated with IJ on eight amicus briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court.

During his acceptance speech for the award, Epstein remarked, “The Institute for Justice is a complete set of perfectionists. I have never worked for pay with a private law firm whose lawyers have been on average as good or better as the motley merry band of litigators from the Institute for Justice.”

Founded in 1991, the Institute for Justice is the nation’s leading legal advocate for liberty. IJ is available on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.