“IJ fulfilled all of my expectations for what a public interest law firm should be and has inspired me to continue using my career in the law to restore the Constitution’s full protection of liberty.” —Jennifer Lakin

For the past year-and-a-half, the Institute for Justice has enjoyed an extra smiling face and helping HAN around the office—third-year George Mason School of Law student Jennifer Lakin. After spending the summer of 2003 as an IJ clerk, Jenny has returned to IJ regularly to pitch in with research and writing on just about every IJ case, from the wine direct shipping case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court to property rights litigation, economic liberty work and beyond.

Jenny credits an Institute for Humane Studies seminar where she first learned about IJs work, as well as her study of the public-interest model of litigation used in the Brown v. Board of Education case, with inspiring her to pursue a career in the law.

Working at IJ has given me the opportunity to experience the practice of public interest law and to learn from the best attorneys Ive ever met, she said. IJ fulfilled all of my expectations for what a public interest law firm should be and has inspired me to continue using my career in the law to restore the Constitutions full protection of liberty.

Even with the long hours she spends as Editor-in-Chief of the George Mason Civil Rights Law Journal, Jenny continues to find time for IJ work. That dedication is one of the traits that have made her indispensable, according Senior Attorney Steve Simpson. She fills in wherever we need her on any issue, always with high-quality work and always with utter good cheer.

Our deepest gratitude goes to this budding public-interest star for sharing her talent and passion with the IJ team.