Jaba Tsitsuashvili is an attorney at the Institute for Justice. He litigates against federal, state, and local governments, primarily on issues of civil forfeiture, fines and fees, and government immunity and accountability.
Jaba’s work focuses on Fourth Amendment protections against unlawful searches and seizures; the due process rights of people accused of civil or criminal offenses; and the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of excessive fines.
As part of IJ’s Project on Immunity and Accountability, he also litigates and writes amicus briefs on issues of qualified immunity, Bivens liability, and related doctrines that shield police and other government actors from accountability for constitutional violations.
Before joining IJ, Jaba litigated immigrants’ due process and First Amendment rights and prisoners’ religious liberty and disability rights. For his work on behalf of detained migrants, he was a recipient of the ACLU of Southern California’s 2019 Access to Justice Award.
Jaba graduated from the New York University School of Law and the University of California at San Diego. While at NYU Law, he interned for Judge John G. Koeltl (U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York); the U.S. Department of Justice (Civil Division, Southern District of New York); and the Asociación Civil por la Igualdad y la Justicia (Buenos Aires, Argentina). He also taught basic constitutional and criminal law to young people through the High School Law Institute.
Jaba is a member of the California and DC bars.
Jaba's Cases
Immunity and Accountability
Former Texas Prosecutor Worked as a Law Clerk in His Own Cases, Giving the Government an Unfair Advantage Over Those He Prosecuted
Case Video Complaint Project on Immunity and Accountability…
Fines and Fees | Private Property
People abused by small town’s “policing for profit” file class action seeking accountability
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Innocent New Orleans Man Fights the Federal Government for His Life Savings
DEA agents took Kermit Warren’s life savings from him when he was traveling to purchase a new truck for his tow truck business. They never charged Kermit with a crime. With IJ’s help, Kermit was…
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…
Fines and Fees | Private Property
New Orleans Ankle Monitors
Judges must be impartial when deciding to deprive a person of his or her property. Unfortunately, one judge in New Orleans has been ordering individuals to wear an ankle monitor from a company in which…
Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property
Landowners sue to stop warrantless searches
Tennessee Wildlife officials were caught putting cameras on Terry Rainwaters’ property, ignoring his “No Trespassing” signs. Terry and another rural Tennessee property owner are joining forces with IJ to fight back against the “open fields…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Pittsburgh Retiree Sues Federal Government to Get His Life Savings Back
Retired railroad engineer Terry Rolin’s life savings were seized by the government, but he hasn’t been charged with any crime. Now he and his daughter are working with IJ to get his money back and…
Jaba's Amicus Briefs
Rios v. Redding
10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
New Jersey v. Anderson
Ashaheed v. Currington
10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Villarreal v. Laredo