Institute for Justice
Liberty & Law
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In This Issue
Protecting the Opportunity to Start Over
IJ is always looking for new ways to spread liberty and fight government abuse. Nearly a decade ago, that led to the first of many IJ cases challenging civil forfeiture laws. Four years ago, we began our campaign against cities’ abusive fines and fees schemes. And this past December, we launched our first lawsuit on…
A Promising Day for Tyson Timbs—and the Eighth Amendment
On a blustery day in late November, IJ argued before the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court in Timbs v. Indiana, a civil forfeiture case that will make constitutional history. As you’ll recall, in this case we ask the Court to rule on whether the Eighth Amendment’s Excessive Fines Clause applies to state and local…
Seattle Tenants Stand Up to Warrantless Government Searches
Keena Bean wants to have final say over who enters her home. She cherishes her privacy and security and would never want someone in her kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom without her permission—let alone someone she doesn’t know and has never met. After all, your home is your castle, and 800 years of jurisprudence says that…
Making it Simpler, Cheaper, and Faster to Start a Business in Washington, D.C.
Building on our successes promoting economic liberty across the country, IJ is turning our focus to our own backyard: Washington, D.C. Although government overreach at the federal level is the topic of near-constant attention and discussion, the red tape imposed by the District at the local level is not. IJ’s activism team set out to…
Powering the National Law Firm for Liberty
As you read through this issue of Liberty & Law and take note of the many ways that IJ is improving the lives of real people, we hope you will consider increasing your support for our work by becoming a member of IJ’s Partners Club or Guardians Circle. IJ Partners contribute $1,000 or more annually,…
Going Live With IJ
An increasingly popular benefit of membership in IJ’s Partners Club and Guardians Circle is the opportunity to participate in IJ LIVE calls. These exclusive and interactive phone conversations give our most dedicated supporters a deeper understanding of how IJ turns their contributions into important and lasting victories for liberty. Our most recent IJ LIVE event…
Entrepreneurship Is on a Roll in Wisconsin
In 2017, IJ defeated Wisconsin’s unconstitutional ban on the sale of home-baked goods, freeing Wisconsinites to use their home kitchens to earn money for their families. Now a new report from IJ’s strategic research team, Ready to Roll: Nine Lessons from Ending Wisconsin’s Home-Baking Ban, finds the end of the home-baked goods ban has already…
Safeguarding Eminent Domain Reform in Georgia
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2005 decision in our case Kelo v. New London set off a nationwide backlash against eminent domain abuse, IJ worked with lawmakers across the country to end governments’ use of eminent domain for private development. As a result of our efforts, 44 states now have stronger protections for property owners…
IJ Takes on Protectionism and the Tennessee Liquor Cartel in Second Supreme Court Case This Term
While we await a decision in Timbs, IJ is pushing along a second case before the U.S. Supreme Court this term. And in this one we have an opportunity to advance one of IJ’s long-term litigation goals: breathing new life into the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the 14th Amendment. This Clause, which was virtually…
Bound by Oath
In 2018, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution turned 150. In December, IJ’s Center for Judicial Engagement launched a documentary-style podcast series, Bound By Oath, which tells the dramatic story of how the Amendment came to be—and why it is so important to securing individual liberty. The 14th Amendment is critical to IJ’s mission.…
