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The Institute for Justice: “We handle the David vs. Goliath of cases, pro bono.”
The Institute for Justice: “We handle the David vs. Goliath of cases, pro bono.”
Posted on December 20, 2010
The self-proclaimed ‘Merry Band of Litigators’ at the Institute for Justice, a non-profit, pro bono civil liberties law firm, ensures that the basic rights of everyday individuals go unhampered. Their cases typically involve people’s basic constitutional rights being attacked when special interest groups team up with the government to pass laws that help themselves at the expense of everyone else. All too often, they are the only law firm in the country that is willing to fight against an ever-tightening government choke-hold on the individual pursuit of the American Dream. Founded in 1991, IJ has become the epitome of what a civil liberties law firm should be, and has been frequently featured in national media outlets such as 60 Minutes and 20/20. Our Director of Marketing, Michael Foti, spoke with Bob Ewing of the Institute for Justice to learn about how the Institute has been standing up for the little guys.
Eminent
Domain
In 1993, Donald Trump sought to expand his property holdings around his
Atlantic City hotel and casino to build a parking lot designed for limousines.
However, when the owners of three lots decided to hold out, the Casino
Reinvestment Development Authority, a state agency, condemned the properties and
subject them to eminent domain. It took five
years of intense litigation for the Institute for Justice to have the ruling
overturned in state Superior Court.
“…We have been able to set a precedent that this condemnation was not for a
public purpose,” said Senior Attorney Dana
Berliner after hearing the decision. “…It will be a revolution in
condemnation law and a very important restraint on the ability of government to
take private property and hand it over to other private parties.”
IJ took up this case a mere two years into their founding, a time when
their funding was but a fraction of what it is now, yet they succeeded. When it
was all over, an elderly widow beat Donald Trump in court to save her house from
the bulldozers. Score one for the little guys.
IJ is now the nation’s premier champion for property rights. The Institute
has successfully battled eminent domain abuse around the country, taking the
issue to the highest courts in the land, including the infamous 2005 U.S. Supreme Court case Kelo v. City of New
London.
Here is the story of Susette Kelo, and how
her fight to save her little pink house changed a nation:
http://www.ij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2506&Itemid=208
http://www.ij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2506&Itemid=208
Since the Kelo ruling, 43 states have changed their eminent domain laws to
provide greater protection for private property.
The Case of The Budding Entrepreneur
They were seven perfectly fine floral displays. Most anyone would have
bought them. But the Louisiana Horticulture Commission forced would-be florist
Sandy Meadows to throw them out or be fined $250.
That’s because in Louisiana it is illegal to sell and arrange flowers
without permission from the government. Aspiring florists must pass a subjective
licensing exam that is graded by existing florists, who have a direct incentive
to keep new competitors from entering the market.
“Far from helping consumers, regulations like Louisiana’s stifle growth and
innovation…” said Clark Neily, an Institute for Justice senior attorney.
That’s why Sandy Meadows teamed up with the Institute for Justice.
The lawsuit sought to vindicate the plaintiff’s right to economic liberty.
The case was declared ‘moot’ following the destruction and chaos left in
Hurricane Katrina’s path. However, it brought the anti-competitive and
anti-consumer nature of the state’s florist licensing law to national
attention.
It’s just another example of how the IJ is helping bring equality to
hardworking, everyday Americans. For free.
African hairbraiders, taxi drivers, interior
designers and numerous other entrepreneurs across the country have teamed
up with the Institute for Justice to successfully defend their constitutional right to earn honest living.
Consider the ongoing case of Erroll Tyler. His dream is to open a
cutting-edge amphibious vehicle tour service in Cambridge. Erroll is certified
by the state and has cut through miles of red tape to open his business. But,
even though his vehicles won’t stop in Boston, the city insists that he needs a
special ’sightseeing’ license. Were he in business now, Erroll would face fines
and a month in jail if his passengers were caught looking out the window. In a
crueler twist, officials will not even consider granting Erroll the license.
Watch IJ’s powerful 3-minute video explanation of the case here: http://www.ij.org/video/errolltyler
As IJ Senior Attorney Jeff Rowes puts it, “It should not take seven years
and a team of lawyers to open a small business.”
Support The Cause
The Institute for Justice spends $0.79 of every $1.00 on litigation. Fund
raising accounts for only 10 cents and administration accounts for 11 cents.
That’s why IJ has been awarded Charity Navigator’s coveted four-star rating
every year since the ratings came out!
Since IJ is nonprofit, they rely completely on donors. They have a very
diverse donor base, with individual donors that cross the political spectrum.
Organizations as diverse as the liberal Annie E. Casey Foundation and Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation to the
conservative Bradley Foundation also provide
the Institute with support.
Help this remarkable organization fight on behalf of: economic liberty,
free speech, school choice, and private property
rights. Donate to the Institute for Justice and help set new standards
and precedents for a better America.
Visit the IJ site at www.ij.org
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