Jaimie Cavanaugh is an attorney with the Institute for Justice. Her practice focuses on economic liberty and private property. As part of IJ’s legislative team, Jaimie works to expand access to healthcare by ending certificate of need laws. In 2020, she authored the report, Conning the Competition. She also works to end the overuse of fines and fees that can trap people, especially the poor, in the criminal justice system.
As a litigator, her work has led to the recognition of the right to economic liberty by the Georgia Supreme Court and ended New Jersey’s ban on selling homemade baked goods. In Minnesota, she secured a victory for winemakers who wanted to use ingredients from other states and eased continuing legal education requirements for attorneys.
Her views have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, Bloomberg and other media outlets.
Growing up outside Detroit, Jaimie learned that individuals, not the government, know what is best for themselves and their families. Jaimie studied Linguistics and German at the University of Michigan and earned her J.D. from the University of Colorado. Following law school, she completed a judicial fellowship with Justice Monica M. Márquez of the Colorado Supreme Court and interned for Exxon Mobil in Hanover, Germany.
Jaimie's Cases

4th Amendment Project | Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Class Action Lawsuit Challenges Detroit’s Unconstitutional Civil Forfeiture Program
For decades, residents of Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan have lived under constant threat of having their cars taken away and ransomed back to them for $1,000 or more—that is, if the car is ever…

Nepali Immigrants Sue Kentucky Over Law That Stopped Them from Opening a Home Health Care Business
Two Nepali immigrants wanted to open a home health care business to help people in their community, but Kentucky law let their potential competitors stop them from opening up. The two have teamed up with…

Attorneys Petition for Reduced Burden in Licensing of Lawyers
After a successful petition from IJ, the Minnesota Supreme Court decided to ease licensing requirements on attorneys in Minnesota. This was a victory for all attorneys, giving them more flexibility regarding how they earn credits…

Government Gag Orders
Government officials cannot be allowed to use the threat of overwhelming penalties and costly litigation to coerce people into forfeiting their First Amendment rights to speak freely. That is why the Cato Institute has joined…

Economic Liberty | Health | Occupational Licensing
Georgia Lactation Consultants
For decades, Mary Jackson has worked as a lactation consultant, helping new moms and babies during a critical time in their lives. Then one day, Georgia passed the nation’s most restrictive licensing regime for lactation…

Economic Liberty | Food Freedom
New Jersey Bakers Challenge State Ban on Selling Home-Baked Goods
Up until 2021, New Jersey was the only state in the country that prevented home bakers from selling homemade baked goods. After years of litigation from IJ and several home bakers, New Jersey finally ended…

Economic Liberty | Food Freedom | Wine
Minnesota Farm Wineries Fight for Free Trade
A little-known but onerous state law prevented Minnesota vineyards from making a majority of their wine from grapes grown outside Minnesota. IJ partnered with two vineyards to fight this law, and eventually a federal district…
Jaimie's Research & Reports

Economic Liberty | Health
Striving for Better Care
A certificate of need (CON) is a government mandated permission slip that a provider must get before opening a healthcare facility or adding new services. CON laws began as an experiment to reduce government expenditures…

Economic Liberty | Health
Conning the Competition
A Certificate Of Need (CON) is a government-mandated permission slip to start or expand a business. Think of a CON like an expensive admission ticket to access an exclusive club. You can be sure that…
Jaimie's Amicus Briefs
Newell-Davis v. Phillips
U.S. Supreme Court
Rafaeli v. Oakland County
Michigan Supreme Court
Megan Ashley Olson v. One 1999 Lexus
Minnesota Supreme Court