Cara started working at IJ in June 2022 as a Litigation Project Coordinator focusing on Freedom of Information Act requests before becoming a Paralegal. She now assists in litigation efforts by preparing and filing legal documents in courts across the country.
Prior to joining the team, Cara worked in the nonprofit legal sector supporting international rule of law efforts and assisting attorneys on federal policymaking and regulatory projects. Cara is a native of Northern Virginia and graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Human Nutrition, Food and Exercise.
Cara's Cases
Economic Liberty | Occupational Licensing | Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property
Pennsylvania real estate broker files lawsuit challenging law requiring brokers to have brick-and-mortar offices
Pennsylvania real estate broker Kevin Gaughen has filed a lawsuit alongside the Institute for Justice challenging a law requiring brokers in Pennsylvania to have brick-and-mortar offices.
Wyoming Families Head to Court to Keep Education Choice Program Alive
Wyoming families intervene to defend education savings accounts for parents who choose alternatives to public school.
Immunity and Accountability | Private Property | SWAT Destruction
Innocent Family Seeks to Hold SWAT Team Accountable for Raiding the Wrong Home
A North Carolina family is seeking to hold SWAT teams accountable for raiding the wrong home in April 2024.
Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property
Property Owner Sues Macon-Bibb County Over Unconstitutional Home Demolition Practice
Macon-Bibb County has demolished hundreds of homes in a secret process. One homeowner, whose house was demolished while he was actively renovating it, is fighting back.
Immunity and Accountability | Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property | SWAT Destruction
A Police Raid Wrecked Her Home; Now a South Bend Mom Fights for Compensation
In South Bend, a SWAT team raided the wrong home, leaving a single mom with thousands of dollars in damage not covered by insurance. She is suing for compensation.
4th Amendment Project | Private Property
New Jersey Parents File Federal Class Action Lawsuit Challenging State’s Secret Retention of Newborn Blood for 23 Years
New Jersey families challenged the state's policy of keeping blood from every baby born in the state. The state has given samples to law enforcement without a warrant.
Immunity and Accountability | Private Property | SWAT Destruction
Innocent Small Business Owner Seeks Compensation After Shop Destroyed by SWAT Team
For thirty years, Carlos Pena ran a print shop in North Hollywood. His world was turned upside down, however, in August 2022, when a fugitive forced his way into Carlos’s shop and barricaded himself inside…
Eminent Domain | Private Property
Sparta, GA, Property Owners Team Up to Fight Back Against Private Railroad’s Attempt to Take Their Property
A group of property owners in Sparta, Georgia has teamed up to fight back against a private railroad's attempt to take their land.
Private Property | Private Solutions to Public Problems | Zoning Justice Project
North Carolina Animal Sanctuary Fights Back Against Crushing Zoning Restrictions
Kimberly Dunckel founded Fairytale Farm Animal Sanctuary to rescue and care for animals on her 3.33-acre property, but Winston-Salem officials ordered her to close her sanctuary to the public.