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
Economic Liberty | Fresh Start
Texas Fresh Start Social Worker
Texas
Texas—and the country—face a two-fold problem: an exploding mental health and substance abuse crisis and a dire shortage of professional social workers to address those issues. Yet rather than make it easier for qualified applicants to obtain social work licenses and start helping people, Texas is doing the opposite. In 2019, the state passed a lifetime ban prohibiting anyone with…
4th Amendment Project | Private Property
Norfolk, VA Camera Surveillance
Norfolk, Virginia has installed more than 170 cameras across the city that watch drivers’ every movement. Now, two Norfolk-area residents have teamed up with the Institute for Justice to file a federal lawsuit challenging the…
Private Property | Private Solutions to Public Problems | Right to Shelter | Zoning Justice Project
Flathead Warming Center
The Flathead Warming Center—an emergency shelter in Kalispell, Montana—suffered a cruel blow as winter approaches. On September 16, 2024, the Kalispell City Council voted 6-3 to revoke the Warming Center’s permit, even though it has…
Private Property | SWAT Destruction
Martin v. United States
FBI agents raided the wrong home in suburban Atlanta. Now the federal government refuses to compensate the victims even though Congress passed a law permitting suits for damages caused by federal employees.
Economic Liberty | First Amendment | Occupational Licensing | Occupational Speech
Mississippi Mapping
An overly-broad statute defined a small mapping company in Mississippi as an “unlicensed surveying” company. This statute would have shut down Vizaline, but with help from IJ, Vizaline fought back to protect its First Amendment…
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…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Cleveland Forfeiture
Rustem Kazazi, a retired police officer from Albania, who now leaves in a Cleveland suburb, was flying home to Albania when Customs and Border Patrol stripped him naked and took his family’s money through the…
Educational Choice | Publicly Funded Scholarships
Puerto Rico School Choice
In March 2018, the Puerto Rican legislature enacted the Free School Selection Program, which gives needy families scholarships so that they can send their children to the school of their choice. A teachers’ union immediately…
Code Enforcement | Fines and Fees | Private Property
Doraville Ticketing
The Supreme Court has made it clear that it is unconstitutional for a justice system to be influenced by perverse incentives to raise municipal revenue. That’s why two Doraville homeowners and two Doraville drivers have…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Houston Forfeiture
Anthonia Nwaorie, a registered nurse and grandmother from Texas was flying to see family in Nigeria when Customs and Border Patrol took her life savings without ever charging her with a crime. So, she joined…
Economic Liberty | Occupational Licensing
Washington, D.C. Day Care Education
D.C. recently decided to require day care workers to have a college degree. This is an unreasonable regulation drives up child care costs and deprives day care workers of their ability to earn an honest…
Commercial Speech | Economic Liberty | First Amendment | Food Freedom | Food Freedom
FDA Skim Milk
The FDA prevented Randy Sowers from labelling his skim milk as “skim milk” even though that’s exactly what it is. The First Amendment protects Randy’s right to tell the truth about his product, and after…
Code Enforcement | Fines and Fees | Private Property
Indio Attorney’s Fees
The city of Indio charged Ramona Morales with thousands of dollars in attorney's fees for her own prosecution in a minor code enforcement issue. IJ stepped in to defend her against this unreasonable fee, and…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Timbs v. Indiana
U.S. Supreme Court Opinon Final Victory for Tyson Timbs Case Video…
Economic Liberty | Food Freedom
New Jersey Baked Goods Ban
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 | Private Property | Small and Home-Based Business | Zoning Justice Project
Nashville Home-Based Business
Lij Shaw and Pat Raynor both run successful businesses within their own homes – one a recording studio, the other a hair salon. But one day, the city of Nashville threatened them with fines unless…