Education

Roger Williams University, J.D., 2011

Sweet Briar College, A.B., 2008

Memberships

Federalist Society

Licensed in Colorado

Diana Simpson is an attorney with the Institute for Justice. She joined the Institute’s headquarters office in 2013 after working as a constitutional law fellow in the Arizona office.

Diana litigates to protect private property and other individual rights, with a particular interest in challenging irrational zoning decisions and abusive fines and fees practices. For instance, she represented a homeless shelter after a North Carolina town invoked bogus reasons to prohibit it from opening. The team obtained a federal court victory recognizing that the government violated the Constitution by irrationally denying the shelter its needed permit to open. She currently represents a Texas auto mechanic who faces an impossible-to-comply-with minimum parking requirement. And she is lead attorney in a class action lawsuit against the City of Chicago challenging its impound system, which imposes excessive fines and harsh fees on tens of thousands of Chicago residents and visitors each year. Beyond these cases, she has represented many other Americans in their fight to pursue their dreams.

Diana’s work has been featured by outlets including The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio’s 1A, The New York Times, and many others nationwide.

Diana's Cases

Fines and Fees | Private Property

New York Permit Fines

Joe Corsini keeps a pigeon coop on the roof of his home, like many other New Yorkers. The city’s Department of Buildings saddled him with thousands of dollars in fines for not having a license…

Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property | Right to Shelter

Akron Homeless Advocate Sues for Right to Shelter the Homeless

Sage Lewis is using his commercial property to build a community for those experiencing homelessness, with the hope of helping them transition from the streets to permanent housing. The city of Akron is attempting to…

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Diana's Research & Reports

Arizona’s Profit Incentive in Civil Forfeiture

Civil Forfeiture | Private Property

Arizona’s Profit Incentive in Civil Forfeiture

Arizona’s civil forfeiture laws need to be reformed. In the upside-down world of civil forfeiture, police and prosecutors can seize and keep cash and property that was allegedly involved in criminal activity—without ever proving a…

Diana's Amicus Briefs

Diana's News, Articles & Publications

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