Trace Mitchell

Litigation Fellow

Trace Mitchell is a Litigation Fellow at the Institute for Justice.

Prior to joining IJ, Trace clerked for the Honorable Judge Biran of the Court of Appeals of Maryland. He previously served as Policy Counsel for NetChoice, a technology-focused trade association dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and free expression on the internet, where he focused on issues surrounding content moderation, antitrust policy, and entrepreneurialism and innovation more generally. Before that, Trace worked as a Research Associate with the Mercatus Center and as a Program Associate with the Liberty & Law Center at George Mason University. Trace was the 2019 winner of Think Freely Media’s “Great Communicators Tournament” and his writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Law360, InsideSources, The Hill, National Review, as well as various other publications nationwide.

Trace received his undergraduate degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and his law degree from the George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School.

Trace is a member of the D.C. bar.

Trace's Cases

Private Property

Devillier Cert Petition

“If you break it, you buy it” is a simple rule that anyone who has shopped at a Pottery Barn probably already knows. It means that if you cause damage to someone else’s property, you…

Trace's Amicus Briefs

Trace's News, Articles & Publications