The Institute for Justice litigates to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans. IJ defends ordinary people who want to earn an honest living, own and enjoy their property, speak freely, and give their children a good education but find that the government is standing in their way.
We fight to hold government officials accountable when they violate constitutional rights and to prevent governments at all levels from bending the rules to expand their power or advance illegitimate ends.
IJ wins three out of four cases through outright courtroom victories or legislative change prompted by our lawsuits.
Featured Cases
4th Amendment Project | Open Fields Doctrine | Private Property
Alabama Open Fields
Killen, Alabama
Three northern Alabama residents have teamed up to file a lawsuit challenging a statute that allows game wardens to trespass on private property without a warrant.
Listeners’ Guide to Martin v. US
Supreme Court Argument Resources Find out more about the case Brief for Petitioners Supreme Court Docket Listen to the argument Media Contact Andrew Wimerawimer@staging.ij.org…
4th Amendment Project | Economic Liberty | Private Property
FinCEN Border Cash Surveillance
Esperanza Gomez and Arnoldo Gonzalez, Jr. run small businesses near the U.S.-Mexico border that provide everyday, small-dollar financial services—often for customers without bank accounts. In San Diego, Esperanza helps customers cash checks (often to buy…
Immunity and Accountability | Private Property | SWAT Destruction
North Carolina SWAT Destruction
A North Carolina family is seeking to hold SWAT teams accountable for raiding the wrong home in April 2024.
Fines and Fees | First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Private Property
Norco, CA Enforcement Fees
Ron Mugar successfully saved his home in court from being taken by the city in a process called a receivership. But the receiver nonetheless charged Ron over $60,000 for “obstructive tactics” just for defending himself.
Eminent Domain | Private Property
Pennsylvania Pipeline Eminent Domain
A pipeline company abused eminent domain to take property from the Erbs without paying them for the taking. IJ petitioned the Supreme Court to take the Erbs’ case, but unfortunately the court declined to hear…
Economic Liberty | First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Transportation
Great Lakes Pilot
Captain Matthew Hight thought he would earn a living navigating cargo carriers on the Great Lakes. Instead, an unholy alliance of a federal bureaucracy and a legalized monopoly suddenly rendered him a castaway. Now he’s…
South Padre Island Food Trucks
South Padre Island caps the number of food trucks in town at 12 and requires that all food trucks have a restaurant owner’s sign off on their permit applications. The Texas Constitution prevents the government…
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 | First Amendment | Occupational Speech
Virginia Teaching
Jon and Tracy McGlothian wanted to teach job skills to adults in Virginia, but the state told them they could not do so without a license. With IJ’s help, Jon and Tracy were able to…
Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas
A Tennessee law required that in order to open a liquor store, one must be a Tennessee resident for two years. With help from IJ, Doug and Mary Ketchum challenged this law, bringing it all…
Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Fresh Start | Occupational Licensing
Pennsylvania Fresh Start
A Pennsylvania law prevented Amanda and Courtney from earning an honest living because of unrelated criminal records. After IJ stepped in to defend their rights, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled this law was unconstitutional.
Fort Pierce Food Trucks
Fort Pierce, Florida used to have an incredibly restrictive rule that banned food trucks from operating within 500 feet of a brick-and-mortar restaurant. After two food truck operators partnered with IJ, a court ruled the…
4th Amendment Project | Private Property | Rental Inspections
Seattle Rental Inspections
A group of landlords and tenants worked together with IJ to challenge a Seattle law that allows city officials to inspect rental properties without a warrant. Unfortunately, after minor reforms were made, a court allowed…
Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property | Private Solutions to Public Problems | Right to Shelter
Akron Right to Shelter
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…
Fish Creek, WI Vending
The town of Gibraltar and Door County, Wisconsin once had full-blown ban on food vending trucks, that is until IJ stepped in. After hearing IJ’s case on behalf of food truck operators, a Door County…