Institute for Justice
Encyclopedia
The Institute for Justice (IJ) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit libertarian
public interest law firm
in the United States
. Its mission is to provide pro bono
legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and responsible members of society. It litigates in four core areas: economic liberty
, property rights, free speech, and school choice
. IJ has state chapters in Minnesota
, Texas
, Arizona
, Florida
, and Washington as well as a clinic on entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Law School
.
In addition to litigation, "the Institute [takes its cases] to the court of public opinion with editorials and op-eds in leading local and national newspapers." The Institute also conducts training programs for law students, and publishes the bimonthly newsletter,Liberty and Law and several strategic research reports per year.
and Clint Bolick
. The inaugural speech launching the Institute for Justice was given on September 10, 1991.
, and Florida
. They have also been closely involved in several eminent domain
lawsuits, including Coking vs. C.R.D.A, in which they defended the right of Vera Coking
to stay in her home despite the intent of Donald Trump
to use her land for a parking lot, and the landmark eminent domain lawsuit of Kelo v. City of New London
, winning the former and losing the latter.
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris
Swedenburg v. Kelly
Garriott v. Winn
Arizona Free Enterprise Club Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett
, which also fund the libertarian Cato Institute
and Citizens for a Sound Economy
.
The rest of IJ's awards can be viewed here
There are also 12 staff attorneys and various support staff.
, a project of the Institute for Justice, was founded in March 2002 to train home and business owners how to stand up to governments and developers who seek to use eminent domain for economic development. The Castle Coalition provides resources to private property owners threatened by eminent domain, giving them tips and strategies for fighting land grabs. The Castle Coalition also hosts workshops nationwide training communities to be effective advocates for property rights. Individual activists and communities across the country have successfully used their tactics to save homes and businesses.
. The IJ Clinic teams lower-income entrepreneurs with law students to provide entry-level business people with pro-bono legal support they need to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors.
laws.
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
public interest law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its mission is to provide pro bono
Pro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and responsible members of society. It litigates in four core areas: economic liberty
Economic freedom
Economic freedom is a term used in economic and policy debates. As with freedom generally, there are various definitions, but no universally accepted concept of economic freedom...
, property rights, free speech, and school choice
School choice
School choice is a term used to describe a wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school their children will attend. As a matter of form, school choice does not give preference to one form of schooling or another, rather manifests itself whenever a student...
. IJ has state chapters in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and Washington as well as a clinic on entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Law School
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School was founded in 1902 as the graduate school of law at the University of Chicago and is among the most prestigious and selective law schools in the world. The U.S. News & World Report currently ranks it fifth among U.S...
.
In addition to litigation, "the Institute [takes its cases] to the court of public opinion with editorials and op-eds in leading local and national newspapers." The Institute also conducts training programs for law students, and publishes the bimonthly newsletter,Liberty and Law and several strategic research reports per year.
History
IJ was founded in 1991 by Chip MellorChip Mellor
William H. "Chip" Mellor serves as President and General Counsel of the Institute for Justice, which he co-founded. Mellor pursues constitutional litigation in four areas: economic liberty, property rights, school choice, and free speech.- Prior to the Institute for Justice :Mellor received his...
and Clint Bolick
Clint Bolick
Clint Bolick , is an American attorney and the director of the Goldwater Institute's Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation in Phoenix, Arizona....
. The inaugural speech launching the Institute for Justice was given on September 10, 1991.
Notable cases
The Institute has been involved in numerous lawsuits. Particularly noteworthy cases include school choice lawsuits in Cleveland, Milwaukee, ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. They have also been closely involved in several eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
lawsuits, including Coking vs. C.R.D.A, in which they defended the right of Vera Coking
Vera Coking
Vera Coking is a retired homeowner in Atlantic City, New Jersey whose home was the focus of a prominent eminent domain case involving Donald Trump....
to stay in her home despite the intent of Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
to use her land for a parking lot, and the landmark eminent domain lawsuit of Kelo v. City of New London
Kelo v. City of New London
Kelo v. City of New London, 545 U.S. 469 was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States involving the use of eminent domain to transfer land from one private owner to another to further economic development...
, winning the former and losing the latter.
Supreme Court cases
Kelo v. City of New LondonKelo v. City of New London
Kelo v. City of New London, 545 U.S. 469 was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States involving the use of eminent domain to transfer land from one private owner to another to further economic development...
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, , was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court which tested the allowance of school vouchers in relation to the establishment clause of the First Amendment....
Swedenburg v. Kelly
Granholm v. Heald
Granholm v. Heald, 544 U.S. 460 , was a court case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in a 5-4 decision that ruled that laws in New York and Michigan that permitted in-state wineries to ship wine directly to consumers, but prohibited out-of-state wineries from doing the same, were...
Garriott v. Winn
Arizona Free Enterprise Club Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett
Funding
In fiscal year 2010, 79 percent of IJ’s total contributions came from individuals. Another 20 percent was raised through donations from foundations, with 1 percent coming from businesses. No government funds are accepted. The initial funding for the Institute came from the Koch Family FoundationsKoch Family Foundations
Koch Family Foundations is the informal name for a group of charities in the United States of America associated with the family of Fred C. Koch. The most prominent of these are the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation and the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation, created by two of Fred C...
, which also fund the libertarian Cato Institute
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
and Citizens for a Sound Economy
Citizens for a Sound Economy
Citizens for a Sound Economy was a conservative political group operating in the United States, whose self-described mission was "to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation." In 2004, Citizens for a Sound Economy split into two new organizations, with Citizens for a Sound...
.
Honors and accolades
- For the ninth consecutive year the Institute for Justice received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.
- Washingtonian Magazine recently named the Institute for Justice as one of the top places to work.
The rest of IJ's awards can be viewed here
Leadership
- William H. MellorChip MellorWilliam H. "Chip" Mellor serves as President and General Counsel of the Institute for Justice, which he co-founded. Mellor pursues constitutional litigation in four areas: economic liberty, property rights, school choice, and free speech.- Prior to the Institute for Justice :Mellor received his...
- President and General Counsel - John E. Kramer - Vice President for Communications
- Beth Stevens - Vice President for Development
- Deborah Simpson - Managing Vice President
- Steven Anderson - Chief Financial Officer
Senior attorneys
- Dana BerlinerDana BerlinerDana Berliner is a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice a public interest law firm in Arlington, Virginia founded in 1991 by Chip Mellor and Clint Bolick. She was co-lead counsel for Susette Kelo in the landmark United States Supreme Court case Kelo v...
- Scott BullockScott BullockScott G. Bullock is a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice a public interest law firm in Arlington, Virginia founded in 1991 by Chip Mellor and Clint Bolick. He was lead counsel for Susette Kelo in the landmark case, Kelo v...
- Bert Gall
- Michael Bindas
- Dick Komer
- Clark Neily
- Jeff Rowes
- Steve Simpson
- Tim Keller
- William R. Maurer
- Lee McGrath
- Matt Miller
There are also 12 staff attorneys and various support staff.
Castle Coalition
The Castle CoalitionCastle Coalition
The Castle Coalition is a nation-wide network of homeowners and citizen activists determined to stop the abuse of eminent domain in their communities, that is, the taking of private property by the government in order to put it to public use...
, a project of the Institute for Justice, was founded in March 2002 to train home and business owners how to stand up to governments and developers who seek to use eminent domain for economic development. The Castle Coalition provides resources to private property owners threatened by eminent domain, giving them tips and strategies for fighting land grabs. The Castle Coalition also hosts workshops nationwide training communities to be effective advocates for property rights. Individual activists and communities across the country have successfully used their tactics to save homes and businesses.
Activism and coalitions
IJ’s Activism and Coalitions team organizes grassroot campaigns in support of economic liberty, private property rights, school choice, and free speech. This includes training and mobilizing activists and communities across the country to fight for individual rights, as well as providing legislative support to lawmakers.Strategic research
IJ has a strategic research team that produces social science and policy research on issues central to IJ's mission. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the studies examine important questions by applying techniques from public policy, economics, political science, sociology and other disciplines to reach findings borne out by data. IJ conducts much of their research in-house, but also commissions leading scholars where appropriate.IJ Clinic on Entrepreneurship
The IJ Clinic on Entrepreneurship is a joint project of the Institute for Justice and The University of Chicago Law SchoolUniversity of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School was founded in 1902 as the graduate school of law at the University of Chicago and is among the most prestigious and selective law schools in the world. The U.S. News & World Report currently ranks it fifth among U.S...
. The IJ Clinic teams lower-income entrepreneurs with law students to provide entry-level business people with pro-bono legal support they need to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors.
"MakeNoLaw" Blog
IJ's free speech blog, "MakeNoLaw" was created as a complement to the Institute for Justice’s fight, both in courts of law and the court of public opinion, to defend the freedom of speech from government encroachments—particularly campaign financeCampaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
laws.
External links
- Institute for Justice official website
- IJ's Charity Navigator profile
- Phil Wilayto, "The Institute For Justice", A Job is a Right Campaign, February 8, 2000
- Entrepreneurs Under Attack by John StosselJohn StosselJohn F. Stossel is an American consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author and libertarian columnist. In October 2009 Stossel left his long time home on ABC News to join the Fox Business Channel and Fox News Channel, both owned and operated by News Corp...