Institute for Justice
Liberty & Law
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In This Issue
U.S. Supreme Court VICTORY!
In June, IJ won our third victory at the U.S. Supreme Court for parents seeking to choose the best education for their children. In a 5–4 ruling in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the Court stated definitively that the U.S. Constitution does not allow states to exclude religious schools from generally available educational choice…
Tyson Timbs Gets His Car Back!
Opponents of civil forfeiture know of Tyson Timbs—and the U.S. Supreme Court decision that bears his name. Tyson won a landmark victory against abusive fines, fees, and forfeitures in 2019, but his story didn’t end at the Supreme Court. Let’s go back to the beginning. In 2013, Tyson was arrested in his hometown of Marion,…
Victory for Utah Private Investigator Arrives Faster Than Magnum, P.I.’s Ferrari
If ’80s television crime-stopper Thomas Magnum, P.I., had come to Utah earlier this year to crack a case, the state would have told him the same thing it told IJ client and real-life private investigator Jeremy Barnes: Hit the road. That’s because Magnum hails from Hawaii, and Jeremy lives three minutes across the Utah border…
4th Circuit Vindicates Charleston Tour Guides
IJ’s strategic approach to building precedent—and our resilience—paid off in a big way this June when the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that Charleston, South Carolina, violated the First Amendment by making it illegal to give paid tours of the city without obtaining a license to speak. This victory is the latest in…
IJ Forges a Victory for Farriers and the First Amendment
Pop quiz: Is vocational training speech that is protected by the First Amendment? According to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in yet another IJ victory this summer, it is. As a result, trade schools all over the West Coast now enjoy clear First Amendment protection as they simply try to teach students how…
Become a Monthly Donor and Your Gift Goes Even Further
As you can see from this very full issue of Liberty & Law, IJ is working through these challenging times without missing a beat. We are able to do that because of the steadfast support of our donors. Now, for donors who want to do more with their support for IJ, we have a special…
IJ Scores a Major Victory for Economic Liberty at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Less than 24 hours after IJ’s economic liberty victory at the Georgia Supreme Court, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued its own decision vindicating an IJ client’s right to earn a living. The court held—for the first time—that occupational licensing requirements must satisfy a more rigorous test under the Pennsylvania Constitution than under the U.S. Constitution.…
IJ Clients Fight to Recapture the Pioneer Spirit Out West
The iconic American story of seeking opportunity in the West is what IJ clients Joshua and Emily Killeen set out to write for themselves when they left San Diego to homestead 10 empty acres of high desert plateau in Yavapai County, Arizona. Joshua and Emily built an environmentally conscious tiny home and rustic barn to…
Dispensing Justice in Montana
Just over a year ago, IJ launched a groundbreaking case challenging Texas’ law banning doctors from dispensing medications to their patients. As we explained then, “doctor dispensing” is a safe and effective way to increase access to routine medications and is already permitted in 44 states and the District of Columbia. Now, IJ is working…
A Peach of a Victory for Georgia’s Lactation Consultants
Mary Jackson has been working hard keeping Georgia’s new mothers and babies healthy and happy while the nation’s families face unique challenges. And now, thanks to IJ, she can keep up the good work. In a decisive victory for economic liberty, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled in Mary’s favor in IJ’s case challenging the state’s…
IJ Schools Government Lawyers on Behalf of D.C. Day Care Providers
Sometimes the hardest part of winning a constitutional lawsuit is getting into the courtroom in the first place. When IJ sues over an unconstitutional regulation, the government’s first response is frequently not to defend the regulation but to say that we shouldn’t be allowed to sue at all. They say our clients haven’t been harmed…
Little Free Pantry Fights Big Government Intrusion
Kathy Hay and her husband work hard to provide for their three children, but their pantry sometimes runs low. Many families face the same challenge in their rural Washington community near the Idaho state line, and aid organizations struggle to keep pace with demand. One day, when Kathy saw empty shelves at a food bank near…
Overreaching Regulators Try to Can Food Freedom
IJ has worked with state legislators across the nation to expand the sale of foods made in home kitchens, helping pass nine bills in eight states and the District of Columbia in recent years. These lawmakers recognize that homemade food sales are low risk, give consumers greater choice, and expand economic opportunity. Now, regulators in…
How to Litigate Through a Shutdown—and Keep Winning
At the Institute for Justice, we deal with unique challenges and uphill battles every day. In fact, the bigger the challenge, the more palpable our energy and determination to take it on. This spirit has been on full display over the past few months as IJers have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The result has…
IJ Makes Headlines
June 30, 2020 Supreme Court: Montana Can’t Exclude Religious Schools From Scholarship Program June 30, 2020 Low-Income Families Are The True Winners Of The Supreme Court’s Religious Schools Ruling June 30, 2020 A School Choice Landmark June 28, 2020 Montana Should Get With The Times On Doctor Dispensing June 22, 2020…
