Bob Belden is an attorney with the Institute for Justice.
Prior to joining IJ’s headquarters office in September 2021, he was an Associate at Williams & Connolly LLP. His practice there focused on civil litigation at the trial and appellate level on behalf of individual and institutional clients, including multiple trials before judges and juries in both state and federal court. Before joining Williams & Connolly, he clerked for Judge Jerry E. Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Bob earned his law degree magna cum laude from Cornell Law School, as well as a B.S. in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University. He is licensed to practice in New York and the District of Columbia. He resides in D.C. with his wife, daughter, and three dogs.
Robert's Cases
Eminent Domain | Private Property
Brentwood Blight
A St. Louis suburb is trying to pave the way for a massive redevelopment by calling well-kept loved family businesses.
ProCraft Masonry Administrative Appeal
Danny Barbee and his wife Diana together run ProCraft Masonry, LLC, a small masonry company in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Danny is a fourth-generation bricklayer and Diana has worked at ProCraft since its founding in 2010. Their…
Fines and Fees | Private Property
C.S. Lawn Administrative Appeal
When the Department of Labor decided to fine Chuck Saine tens of thousands of dollars, Chuck did not get to make his case to a jury of his peers—or even a real federal judge. Instead,…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
US Private Vaults Administrative Forfeiture
Linda Martin's home savings were seized by the FBI. She received a confusing forfeiture notice that didn't clearly say what she did wrong for the government to want to take her money.
Economic Liberty | First Amendment | Private Property | Vending
North Carolina Food Trucks
Jacksonville, North Carolina effectively bans food trucks from operating in 96 percent of the city. That's why a group of small business owners has teamed up with the Institute for Justice to file a lawsuit…
Private Property | Small and Home-Based Business | Zoning Justice Project
South Carolina Amortization
A South Carolina town changed its zoning regulations and ordered a small automotive business to stop renting U-Hauls. The owners are now fighting back.
First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Housing Abundance and Affordability | Private Property | Right to Shelter | Zoning Justice Project
Meridian, Idaho Tiny Homes
Chasidy Decker is a native to the Boise area who wants to live in the tiny home that suits her.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Indiana Civil Forfeiture Class Action
In Indiana, prosecutors profit off the civil forfeiture cases they prosecute, creating perverse incentives that strips Hoosiers of their basic due process rights. A federal class action lawsuit from IJ seeks to end for-profit prosecutions…
Fines and Fees | Private Property
Sun Valley Administrative Appeal
In 2016, the Department of Labor demanded $550,000 from a family farm in southern New Jersey. In their case, the agency served as prosecutor, judge, and jury, and the agency won every time. The brothers…