Liberty & Law IJ's Bimonthly Newsletter (April 2011)

8/7/2019 Liberty & Law IJ's Bimonthly Newsletter (April 2011)

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Volume 20 Issue 2

Board Chairman

Looks Back on

IJs 20 Years

2

Robert Wilson Issues

$10 Million

Challenge Grant

3

IJ Client in

USA Today:

Compensate Bone

Marrow Donors

4

Communications Team

Stays on the Cutting Edge

9

Published Bimonthly by theInstitute for Justice

visit us online:

www.ij.org

Inside This Issue

By Matt Miller Youveprobablyheardalotofpositivebuzz

aboutstreetvendinglately.Vendorsarethedarling

ofmanyfoodcritics,andtheynowhavetheirown

realitytelevisionshow.Consumerslovethecombi-

nationofeclecticmenusandlowprices.Budding

entrepreneurslovethelowcostofentryandthe

chancetostartabusinessfromscratch.Andsome

cities,likeAustinwithitsrecentGypsyPicnic,have

beguntoembracevendorsforthelifeandvitality

theybringtothelocaldiningscene.

Unfortunately,inmanyothercities,vendors

arebeingforcedtofightfortheirveryexistence.

NowhereisthistruerthaninElPaso,Texas,where

thecityhasbannedvendorsfromoperatingwithin

1,000feetofanyrestaurant,grocerorconvenience

store.Ifyouimaginecircleswitha1,000-footradius

drawnaroundeverysinglebusinessthatsellsfood

inElPaso,youwillquicklyseehowonerousthis

restrictionis.IthasessentiallyturnedElPasointoa

No-VendingZone.

Thisnewrestrictionhasabsolutelynothingto

dowithprotectingpublichealthorsafety.Itisa

transparentattempttoprotectbrick-and-mortar

restaurantsfromcompetitionbyforcingvendorsout

ofbusiness.Notably,theheadoftheElPasorestau

rantassociationandrepresentativesofotherbrick-

and-mortarrestaurantsservedontheadvisoryboard

thatassistedthecityindraftingthenewlaw.

Thenotionthatrestaurantswhichenjoynumer

ousadvantagesoverstreetvendors,suchastheabil

itytoseatandservemorecustomers,greaterstor-

agespace,andfullon-sitekitchenscannotsurvive

competitionfromstreetvendorswithoutgovernment

assistanceissilly.Thegovernmentshouldntbein

El Pso Vedig continued on pge 10

April 2011

El Pso Trgets Mobile VedorsWith Protectioist Regultios

2020litig

atingforlibertyyearsyears

MEan STREETS:El Pso Trgets Mobile VedorsWith Protectioist Regultios

El Paso is tr ying to shut down street vendors like IJ client Mri Robledo by making it virtually impossible to sell food

on city streets.


2/1222

2020liti

gatingforliberty

yearsyears

1991-2011

By David B. Kennedy

TwentyyearsagothisSeptemberafter

manyyearsofthought-filledandcareful

preparationtheInstituteforJusticewas

launchedinWashington,D.C.Through

hardworkandadherencetoprinciple,IJ

hasgrownintoanorganizationthatcon-

sistentlymovesthenationtowardgreater

respectforconstitutionalrightsandindi-

vidualliberty.WhatisthesecrettotheInstitutessuccess?Ithasjustbeena

matteroftirelesshardworkbyawonderful

groupoftalentedpeople,operatingwith

enormousgoodwill,allthewhileadhering

closelytoIJsfoundingmission.Butthat

missionisoftheutmostimportance.

IJremainsonmissiontoprotect

property rights.Twentyyearsago,prop-

ertyownersfacedtheever-presentthreat

ofeminentdomainabuse,unquestioned

regulatoryrestrictionsontheirlandand

unchallengedpolicingforprofitintheguise

ofcivilforfeiture.Twentyyearslater,IJ

helpedtransformthelegallandscape(even

aftertheinfamousKeloruling)byhelpingto

changethelawin43statestooffermore

robustprotectionfromeminentdomain

abusewhereoncetherehadbeenlittleor

none.IJteamedupwithlegendarylaw

professorRichardEpsteintofileaseriesof

amicusbriefswiththeU.S.SupremeCourt,

therebyreininginregulatorytakings.IJis

nowhardatworkchallengingcivilforfeiture

throughlitigation,researchandadvocacyinthecourtofpublicopinion.

IJremainsonmissiontoexpd eco-

omic liberty.WhenIJopeneditsdoors,

regulatorsandpoliticallypowerfulcartels

operatingbelowtheradarharassedwould-

beentrepreneurstothepointofexhaustion

inthenameofprotectingthepublic,while

reallyonlyprotectingexistingserviceprovid-

ersfromcompetition.Twentyyearslater,

thanksinlargeparttoIJswork,thecourts,

themediaandthepublicareshowinglittle

toleranceforsuchgood-old-boynetworks.

Today,economiclibertyisontheriseand

economicprotectionismisinretreat.

IJremainsonmissiontodefed

school choice.In1991,fewhadever

evenheardtheideaofschoolchoiceand,

althoughitwasintuitivelyacoreAmerican

value,fewgavemuchthoughttotheidea

thatparentsshouldorcoulddirecttheedu-

cationoftheirchildren.AndsoIJwentto

workputtingthatissue,too,inthenations

consciousness,litigatingallthewayupto

theU.S.SupremeCourt,puttingahumanfaceontheissue,andwinning.Becauseof

theeffortsoftheInstituteforJustice,today

schoolchoiceisarealityfortensofthou-

sandsofkidsacrossthenation.Through

IJ-advocatedschoolchoiceprograms,these

kidsaregettingafarbettereducationtoday

thananyonecouldhavedreamedof20

yearsago.

IJremainsonmissiontovidicte

free speech.Twentyyearsago,theFirst

Amendmentwasintatters,offeringlimited

protectionforpoliticalspeechandsecond-

classtreatmentforcommercialspeech.

Toooftenthegovernmentratherthanfree

IJ: On Mission 20 Years Later


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april 20

2020litig

atingforlyearsyears

andresponsibleindividualsdecidedwhat

informationthepublicneededtohear.But

thankstooneIJcaseafteranother,thelawof

thelandhaschangedandAmericanstoday

arefreertospeakandbeheardthantheywere

20yearsago.ThankstoIJ,individualcitizens

maymoreeasilyadvocatefortheelectionor

defeatofapoliticalcandidatewithoutfirsthav-

ingtogetthegovernmentspermission.Small-

businessownersfacefewerbarrierswhen

theycommunicatewiththeircustomers.Free

speechisexpandingbecauseofIJsmerry

bandoflibertarianlitigators.

OneofthereasonsIJhasremainedso

successfulisthattheyhavethesophistication,

confidenceandvisiontounderstandthatthey

arenotinthebusinessoftryingtorightallthe

wrongsofthisworld.IJhascarefullychosenfourareasoflitigationthatconstitutethecore

oftheAmericanDreamtherighttoowna

pieceofpropertyandcallityours,theright

topursueanhonestlivingintheoccupation

ofyourchoice,therighttodirecttheeduca-

tionofyourchildrenandtherighttospeak

freelyonanysubjectwithouthavingtogetthe

governmentspermission.Wehavebrought

tobearallthetalentandpassionindividuals

canmustertomakethatdreamarealityforas

manyAmericansaspossible.IJdoesntseek

toplowwell-cultivatedlegalfields.Rather,itseekstoplanttheseedsoforder,reasonand

justiceinthefallowfieldsoflawwhereliberty

mustflourish.

Tothatend,theInstituteforJustice

recentlylauncheditsCenterforJudicial

Engagementasameansofengagingthe

courtsandconvincingthemthattheyhave

avitalconstitutionalroletoplayifweareto

liveinanationoflimitedgovernment.IJhas

achievedthatwithindividualcourtsoverthe

years.ThroughthenewCenter,wehaveevery

intentionofmakingthesechangessystemic.

IJscapabilitiesmayhavegrownandits

staffmayhaveexpanded,butourmissionhas

neverwavered.Trueeffectiveness,likethat

demonstratedbytheInstituteforJusticeover

thepast20years,demandsthedisciplined

adherencetomissionthatisanIJhallmark.u

Dvid B. Keedyis the chairman

of IJs board of directors.

april 20

2020litig

atingforlyearsyears

By Chip Mellor

Aswereflectonthe20-year

historyoftheInstituteforJustice,

certainachievementsandevents

havelaidastrongfoundationfor

IJsfuturesuccess.Oneofthe

mostexcitingwasthe$5-million

challengegrantissuedbyRobert

Wilsonin2008.Withthegener-

osityofmanyotherIJsupporters,

wemetthatchallenge.

Bobwassopleasedwith

theenthusiasmofourdonorsandwhatweaccomplished

withthatfirstgrantthathehas

issuedanewchallengegrantof

$10million.Asbefore,Bobwill

provide$1forevery$2ofnew

orincreasedsupportof$5,000

ormore.Fordetails,please

contactIJsVicePresidentfor

DevelopmentBethStevensat

[email protected].

Throughthisnewchallenge,

IJwillcontinuetogrowintoa

nationalforceforliberty,securingconstitutionallimitsongovern-

mentpoweratatimewhenthat

hasneverbeenmoreimportant.

IJhasdevelopedtheseasoned

managementandprofessional

staffthat,alongwithourtime-

testedstrategy,ensureweare

well-equippedtomakethemostof

suchgenerosity.

WeintendfortheInstitute

forJusticetobecomeahouse-

holdnamesothatwhencoreAmericanvaluesofproperty

rights,economicliberty,school

choiceandfreespeechareunder

assaultandsomeoneasks,Who

canwecall?thereisoneobvi-

ousanswer:TheInstitutefor

Justice!u

Chip Mellor is IJs

president and general

counsel.

Doubles

Bob will provide $1 for every $2 of new orincresed support of $5,000 or more.

Robert Wilso Doubles Dowfor Liberty

$10,000,000IJ Chllenge Grnt


4/124

M 11-ear-old son, Ara, was an angelwho transformed m life. His death from

leukemia last April took awa not just m

onl child, it also took awa m ver heart

and soul, and triggered the collapse of m

23-ear marriage.

Aras traged happened in part be-

cause of a lack of bone marrow donors.

Each ear, as man as 3,000 people in the

U.S. die waiting for a bone marrow donor

match. A signicantl higher number of

people die from complications arising from

partiall matched donors. This is largelavoidable, and the shortage of donors is

made worse b a federal law that I and

other families of cancer patients are ght-

ing in federal court. On Tuesda, the U.S.

Court of Appeals in Pasadena, Calif., will

hear arguments in our constitutional chal-

lenge against the U.S. attorne general.

Our suit contests the part of the Na-

tional Organ Transplant Act that bans

families like ours from setting up a pilot

program to offer modest compensation to

donors with the most needed bone marrow

and thus save more lives. The law makes

offering an compensationsuch as a

housing allowancea federal crime that

could land everone involved (from the

doctor to the donor to the patient) in jail.

In our view, the Constitution does not al-

low the government to imprison people for

doing no harm while saving lives.

Severe donor Shortage

The problem for cancer patients is

that onl 2% of Americans are on the na-

tional bone mar-

row donor regis-

tr, which makesnding a perfect

donor match like

nding a needle in

a hastack. Find-

ing a bone marrow

donor match isnt

as simple as nd-

ing a blood donor

match; bone mar-

row donors must

be compatible on

a deep geneticlevelsomething

that is especiall

hard to nd for

minorities.

Ara re-

ceived a close-but-

not-perfect donor

match in 2009, which created painful and

life-threatening complications for him that

required hospitalization for an extended

time. A better match ma have saved his

life. Expanding the donor pool will not

onl create more donor matches, but also

better ones.

But to increase the donor pool, it

makes sense to offer modest compensation

to offset the inconvenience and discomfort

of donating. Donors generall donate b

receiving an injection once a da for ve

das to increase marrow-cell production,

and then having marrow cells drawn from

their arm using the same technique used

b donors of other blood components such

as platelets and plasma. The medicine can

cause u-like smptoms, and the dona-

tion process can take several hours. Right

now, donors who are informed that the

are a match sometimes decide not to do-

nate, often because the cant take time off

work. Offering simple incentives, including

college scholarships to oung-adult do-

norswhose marrow is healthiestcould

increase the number of people who go

through with donation.

This case isnt about medicine; ever-

one agrees that bone marrow transplants

save lives. This case is about whether indi-

viduals can make choices about compen-

sating someone or receiving compensation

for making a bone marrow donation with-

out the government stopping them.

Lets compensate bone marrow donors

FEBRUARy 11, 2011

By KUMUD MAjUMDER

IJ client Kumud Mjumder holds a photo of his son, 11-year-old ary, at a

press conference outside the federal court in Pasadena. Arya lost his battle

with cancer in part because of a lack of bone marrow donors. Kumud and

other family members of cancer patients are fighting to remove the federal

ban on compensating bone marrow donors.

APPhoto

/NickUt


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2020litig

atingforlyearsyears

Marrow different froM organS

Inevitabl when I discuss this issue, peo-

ple raise concerns about markets in human

organs and wonder whether compensation

would exploit the poor. These are legitimate

concerns that can be easil addressed in the

context of marrow donations.

Organs such as kidnes do not grow back

when the are removed, and kidne donation

requires invasive surger.

Bone marrow, on the other hand, is a

special tpe of blood cell that grows back.

Donating bone marrow uses a technique

similar to donating other blood cells such asplatelets for which compensation is legal. Do-

nating marrow is safe, and more than 40,000

people have donated bone marrow without a

single donor death. And patients receive do-

nor bone marrow like blood, through a trans-

fusion.

The differences between irreplaceable

organs and bone marrow answer concerns

about the poor. Here compensation would be

a safe and ethical wa to do no harm while

bringing together the most needed donors

and patients who are otherwise certain to die.Despite all Ara went through, his resil-

ience never wavered. He trul lived up to the

name we gave him: Ara Avalokitesvara

the Great Compassionate Lord Buddha.

Ara is m hero who inspired his mother and

me to create an organization to ght child-

hood cancer (www.araskids.org) and ght for

bone marrow transplants.

In the end, creating more and better

bone marrow donor matches through a ss-

tem of modest compensation will save the

lives of patients, improve the lives of donors,

drive down the costs of treatment and im-

prove the qualit of life of cancer patients as

the battle to survive.

Ara alwas wished that all the kids at

the hospital where he was treated would go

back home one da full cured. Lets work to

make that dream a realit.

Kumud Majumder, Ph.D., lives in Upper Saddle

River, N.J. To learn more about his lawsuit, visit

www.ij.org.

TheInstituteforJusticetenaciouslyadvancesitsclientscases

andthecausefreedom.AstheUSATodayop-edtotheleftdemon-

strates,IJworkstoprofileitsclientsinleadingnewsoutletsacrossthe

nation,couplingthoseplacementswithnewshookssuchascase

filingsor,inthiscase,amajorcourtargument.Otherfeaturesonthis

casehaveappearedinTheNewYorkTimes,TheLosAngelesTimes,

TheEconomistandinothernewsmediaoutletsnationwide.

TohearIJinaction,listentoJeffRowesargueourbonemarrow

donorcasebeforethe9thU.S.CircuitCourtofAppeals,visit:

http://im.ij.org/dZIhKa.

FormoreinformationaboutIJsbonemarrowdonorcase,visit:

www.ij.org/2900.u

IJ Makes the CaseThat Bone Marrow DonorsShould be Compensated

KCBS-TV in Los Angeles featured the clients and attorneys of the Institute

for Justice in a story on IJs bone marrow donor case, which was argued in

February before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A decision is expected

in the case in the coming months.

Her IJ in ction before the9th U.S. Circuit Court of appels

http://im.ij.org/dZIhKa


6/126

By Christina Walsh AsouthernNewJerseytownshipis

demonstratingjusthowfartax-hungrygov-

ernmentofficialswillgointheirquestfor

pie-in-the-skydevelopmentandwhyrestric-

tionsontheuseofeminentdomainareso

desperatelyneededtoprotecthard-working

propertyowners.

MountHollyofficialshavebeenusing

thethreatofeminentdomaintoripapartthe

Gardens,acommunityoncehometo1,000

residents.Officialsboughtupmorethan

300garden-stylerowhomesandareboard-ingthemupthentearingthemdown,even

whiletheyarestillattachedtohomesthat

arelivedincreatingblightwithreckless

demolitionsthatoftencauseseveredamage

totheremaininghomes.

Thespaciousbutmodestlypriced

homesintheGardenshaveattracted

hard-working,low-incomefamiliessince

theywerebuiltinthe1950stypically

AfricanAmericanandHispanicfirst-time

homebuyers.TheGardensbecamea

close-knit,vibrantcommunitywhere

residentstookcareofoneanother.

ButMountHollyofficialsdecided10yearsagotogivethecommunityto

PhiladelphiadeveloperKeatingUrban

Partnerssothatfirmcouldbuildover-

pricedluxuryapartmentsandtownhomes.

LeonaWrightisoneoftheresidents

thetownshipistryingtogetridof.She

turned92lastmonth.Whenshemoved

totheGardens,hersonwasinthirdgrade;

heisnowagrandfather.Herfamilypur-

chasedtworowhomesandcombined

themintoonewhenhernow-deceasedhus-

band,aWorldWarIIveteran,wasstationedatFortDix.Herhomeislovinglydecorated

withphotosofherfamily.

NancyLopezalsolivesinthe

Gardens.Sheraisedfivechildrenonher

owninherthree-bedroomhome.Attimes

shehasworkedtwojobstoaffordher

mortgage,andalsowentbacktoschooltoimproveheremploymentprospects.Her

childrenhaveallgoneontocollegeor

enteredtheworkforceandarethemselves

homeowners.

Thesewomenandtheirneighbors

deservetokeepwhattheyhaveworkedso

hardtoown.

Toraiseawarenessaboutthisabuse

andtoreinforcethecommunitysunityand

resolve,IJteamedupwithresidentsand

heldaHarvestFestivalthispastfallwith

games,prizes,donatedfoodandaline-upofspeakersfromacrossthestate.Wealso

placedop-edsinthePhiladelphiaInquirer

andTheHuffingtonPost.InJanuary,we

launchedabillboardcampaign,andpro-

ducedavideothatcanbeviewedat

www.ij.org/MoutHolly.

Tounderscorenotonlythemoral

bankruptcyofwhatthetownshipis

doing,butalsoitseconomicbankruptcy

IJsStrategicResearchteamdocu-

mentedthatthetownshipsfiscal-impac

studyofthedevelopmentreliedon

unrealisticassumptionsaboutthehous-

Fighting for RightsAnd What is RightIn New Jersey

www.ij.org/MtHollyVideo

Watch the video about how Mount Holly, N.J., residents

are fighting eminent domain abuse.


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april 20

2020litig

atingforlyearsyears

The Grdens hs been destroyed for project tht my result in loss for the township of

$1 million yer.

ingmarketandtheeconomy.Basedonourfindings,thetownshipcouldactuallysufferanannual lossof$1millionthats10percent

ofthetownshipsentirebudget.

Sofar,townshipleadersareunmoved.Duringtheholidays,the

remainingresidents(lessthanonethirdoftheGardensresidents

areleft)receivedthetownshipsfinaloffersfortheirhomes,which

theyhaduntilmid-Januarytoacceptorfacecondemnation.

TheGardenshasbeendestroyedforaprojectthatmayresult

inalossforthetownshipof$1millionayear.Notonlydoofficials

refusetoprovideresidentswithreplacementhousinginthenew

development,theamountsbeingofferedthemarehalftheamount

smallerversionsoftheirhomesaresellingforjustafewblocks

away. AsoftheendofFebruary,theGardensresidentsremainin

limbobuttheyfighton,knowingthatthisisanunconscionable

abuseofpowerthatisemblematicofNewJerseyshorribleeminent

domainlaw.TheInstituteforJusticewillcontinuetofightforjustice

fortheGardenshomeownersandforreformatthestatelevelto

preventthistragedyfromeverhappeningagain.u

Christi Wlsh is IJs director of activism and coalitions.Top, IJ hosted a neighborhood festival to inform the public about

the abuse of eminent domain in Mount Holly. Center, IJ Director of

Activism and Coalitions Christi Wlsh fires up the gathering while

IJ AttorneyBob Mcnmr, bottom, discusses how eminent domain

for private gain is not only wrong, it is unconstitutional.

Pictured left, the Institute for Justice is taking its fight against eminent

domain abuse in Mount Holly, N.J., to new heights with billboards that

spotlight this use of eminent domain for private gain.


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By Beth Milnikel

OnFebruary1,snowstartedfalling

inChicagoanddidntletupuntilthecity

wasburiedbeneath20.2inchesofthe

whitestuff.Chicagoanswereurgednottotrytodrive.Everythinggroundtoa

halt.

Well,notquiteeverything.IJClinic

clientJustUsLawnCarewasworking

aroundtheclock,plowingdrivewaysand

sidewalksclearfortheircustomers.

JimmieandTiffanyWilliamsbegan

JustUsin2008becausetheyneeded

tofindawaytoearnanhonestliving

andsupporttheirkids.Asteenagers,

theyhadfallenpreytosomeoftheall-

too-commonproblemsthatplagueinner-

cityyouth.Theyhadchildrenwhenthey

werestillunmarriedteenagers.Jimmie

endedupinjailforawhile.Butthey

hadtheloveforoneanotherandthe

strengthofcharactertoturntheirlives

around.TheygotmarriedandTiffany

startedworkingasahairstylist.Witha

record,though,itwashardforJimmie

tofindajob.Jimmiehadtomakehis

ownwork.

Oneday,theWilliamsessawanad

forapickuptruckthattheycouldafford,

andtheyturnedthatlistingintoabusi-

nessopportunity.Jimmiestartedknock-

ingondoorsandofferingtoplowsnow

forpropertymanagementcompanies

thatoverseebigapartmentbuildings.

Andwhensummercame,hetaughthimselfaboutlandscapingandlawn

caretokeepservinghiscustomers.

JustUsishardworkingandhonest,and

customersraveabouttheirreliability

andprofessionalism.Peoplewhoknew

JimmieandTiffanyaskidsarebegin-

ningtotakenotice,too,usingthemas

modelsfortheirownself-improvement.

Theyarebeginningtosay,IfJimmie

Williamscandoit,socanI!

JimmieandTiffanyareconstantly

strivingtolearnmoreaboutrunning

theirbusinesswell.Jimmietookaclass

onentrepreneurship,andtheprofessor

referredhimtotheIJClinicforhelpwith

legalquestions.Lawstudentsworking

intheIJClinichavecounseledJustUs

sinceSeptemberonissuesrangingfrom

thetermstoincludeinacustomercon-

tracttothepurchaseofasecondtruck.

Justrecently,wehelpednegotiatethe

leaseforanofficewhereTiffanywill

managetheaccountingandcustomer

communicationsforthebusiness.We

successfullyrefusedtermsthatwere

extremelyunfavorabletoJustUsand

wesecuredanoptiontorenewatthe

samerent,sothatJustUscancontinue

togrowwithasecurebusinessaddress.

(Toobadthecityrequiresthemtopayforanentirelynewlicensebecausethey

hadachangeofaddressyetanother

itemtoaddtoourlistoflawstoreform.)

JustUsisayoungbusiness,runby

first-timeentrepreneurs.Butitpassed

thebiggesttestofallbytakingcareof

customersduringthehistoricBlizzard

of2011.Threegenerationsofthefam-

ilywenttowork,withJimmiesfather

drivingthesecondtruckandtheirold-

estsonworkingasnowblower.They

showedthatthisbusinesshasstaying

power.Andtheyshowed,onceagain,

thattheentrepreneurialspiritthedrive

tobuildabetterfutureforyourfam-

ilycannotbebeat.TheIJClinicwill

doallitcantoclearthewaytowardthat

futuresoJustUsanditsownerscan

plowaheadnomatterthe

season.u

Beth Milikel directs the IJ

Clinic on Entrepreneurship.

IJ Cliic Cliet Just Us Plows PthFor Urb Etrepreeurs

PhotobyBenSpeckmann

IJ Clinic Director Beth Milikel, left, stands with clinic clients Jimmie Willims and Tiffy Willims, who run Just Us Lawn Care.

They are joined by clinic students Stephie Ptterso and Tyler Bes.


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2020litig

atingforlyearsyears

By Bob Ewing

Eversinceourfounding20yearsago,the

InstituteforJusticehasinsistedonfightingeachof

ourlawsuitsintwocourts:thecourtoflawandthe

courtofpublicopinion.

Wehavebuiltareputationnotjustasfirst-rate

litigators,butalsoasexcellentcommunicators.IJattorneysandlawsuitshavebeenfeaturedincount-

lesslocal,regionalandnationalmediaoutletsnation-

wideandbeyond.Wesetthetermsofdebateon

issueafterissueinthenationstopnewspapersand

broadcastswithaconsistentapproachfeaturingIJ

spokespeoplewhoareaccurate,timely,positive,thor-

oughandopen.Andourmediateampersonalizes,

humanizesanddramatizeseverystorywepitch.

Yetwerealizethatthemediamarketisrapidlychanging.

Newspapersareclosing,editorialboardsareshrinkingandreportersof

alltypesarebusierthanever.Bycontrast,blogsandonlinesocialmedia

sitesareexperiencingexponentialgrowth.IJhasstrategicallyadjustedour

mediarelationseffortstocapitalizeontheseprofoundmarketchanges.

Asaresult,ourcommunicationseffortscontinuetothrive.Westill

securegreatcoverageinprominenttraditionalmediaoutletslikeThe

Economist,TheWashingtonPost,Townhall.comandNationalPublic

Radiobutnowweadvancelibertyintheonlinesocialmediaworld,too.

TwoIJattorneysareregularHuffingtonPostbloggers.Inthepast

year,IJsFacebookpagehasgrownfromfewerthan3,000fanstomore

than33,000.Andwehaveoneofthemostpopularnonprofitchannels

onYouTube.

WerecentlypioneeredanewtypeofYouTubeclipwecallavideo

op-ed.Liketraditionalop-eds(akintonewspaperguestcolumns),these

piecespresentopportunitiesforIJspokespeopletoofferourinsightsand

setthetermsofdebateonpopularnewsstories.

Unliketraditionalop-eds,however,videoop-eds

areveryquicktoproduceandpublishourselvesby

simplyuploadingthemtoourYouTubechannel.We

thenpromoteeachofthesepiecestobloggersand

alliesacrossthephilosophicalspectrum,thereby

maximizingtheirimpact.Videoop-edsallowIJtomakeabigimpactina

shorttime.ConsiderIJSeniorAttorneyClarkNeilys

videoop-edonDaleSmith.AformerIJlawclerk

notifiedusthatSmith,an82-year-oldOregonbarber,

hadbeenshutdownbybureaucratsinaclassiccase

ofoccupationallicensingabuse.

Withinoneday,IJproducedanduploadeda

videoop-edtoYouTubeandhaditembeddedon

severalblogs,includingEdMorrisseyspopularsite,HotAir.com.Within

twodays,wewerecontactedbyPlayboymagazine,whichsawourvideo

andwantedtogiveDaleSmithaspecialHeffyAwardanhonornamed

afterPlayboyfounderHughHefner,whichrecognizesthosewhodemon-

stratespiritintheirgoldenyears.ThelocalOregonnewspaperdidastory

onthisangleandfeaturedIJ.Withinaweek,ourvideoop-edhadmore

than14,000views.

IJsmediateamwillcontinuetoevolveandcapitalizeonchangesin

themediamarket,butourbasicstrategywillalwaysbethesame.Wewill

consistentlymakeacompellingandpositivecaseforlibertyinthecourt

ofpublicopinion.

Andonedaysoon,theInstituteforJusticewillbea

householdname.u

Bob Ewig is IJs assistant director of communications.

april 20

2020litig

atingforlyearsyears

IJInnovatIon:

VideoOp-edsare

IJsLatestTool

ToAdvanceLiberty

IJ recently created a state-of-the-art video production studio that enhances the Institutes ability to create high-quality and creative videos in house.


10/120

The government hs no right to deprive vendors of theopportunity to ern n honest living with nkedly

protectionist lw designed to drive them out of business.

thebusinessofpun-

ishingsomekindsof

businessesinorder

tobenefitothers.

Yet,ElPasohas

doneexactlythatby

adoptingalawthat

threatenstodestroy

athrivingvending

culture,reducecon-

sumerchoiceanddriveupfoodprices.

Thegovernmenthasnorighttodeprive

vendorsoftheopportunitytoearnanhonest

livingwithanakedlyprotectionistlawdesigned

todrivethemoutofbusiness.Thatiswhy

ElPasovendorshavejoinedwithIJtofight

backbysuingthecityinfederalcourttohave

thelawdeclaredunconstitutional.These

vendorsbuilttheirbusinessespiecebypiece.

Theypaytheirtaxes,complywithapplicable

food-safetyandtrafficregulations,andhave

vendinglicensesfromthecity.Theyhave

developedthrivingbusinessesandaloyal

customerbase.AsIJclientYvonneCastaneda

said,Werenotaskingforanythingotherthan

tobeabletorun

ourbusinesses

inpeacesothat

wecanserveour

customersand

supportourselves

andourfami-

lies.

Inthis

upside-down

economy,thegovernmentis

bailingoutbusinessesthatcouldnotmakeit

ontheirownwhilepunishingthosethathave

managedtosurvivethroughinnovationand

hardwork.ThisreflectsneithertheAmerican

idealsestablishedbyourConstitution,northe

kindofcountrythatweallwanttolivein.El

Pasoshouldstoptryingtorunstreetvendors

likeYvonneoutoftownandallowthemto

keeppursuingtheirAmericanDream.And

thatisexactlywhattheInstitute

forJusticeisfightingfor.u

Mtt Miller is the IJ Texas

Chapter executive director.

El Pso Vedig continued from pge 1

At a press conference in El Paso, IJ Texas Chapter Executive Director Mtt Miller and our clients discuss the citys efforts to shut down

mobile food vendors and protect brick-and-mortar restaurants from competition. Among other means, IJ has created compelling graphics

and a video to visually demonstrate the injustice of El Pasos new law.

Food Trucks Cannot VWithin 1000 Feet of Resta

Grocers and Convenience S

ELPASOBORDE

R

www.ij.org/3648

Watch the IJ case video


11/12

april 20

2020litig

atingforlyearsyears

Volume20Issue2

about the publictio

Liberty & Lawis published bimonthly by the

Institute for Justice, which, through strategic

litigation, training, communication, activismand research, advances a rule of law under

which individuals can control their destinies

as free and responsible members of society.

IJ litigates to secure economic liberty, school

choice, private property rights, freedom of

speech and other vital individual liberties,

and to restore constitutional limits on the

power of government. In addition, IJ trains

law students, lawyers and policy activists in

the tactics of public interest litigation.

Through these activities, IJ challenges theideology of the welfare state and illustrates

and extends the benefits of freedom to those

whose full enjoyment of liberty is denied by

government.

Editor: John E. Kramer

Layout & Design: Don Wilson

Howtoreachus:

Institute for Justice

901 N. Glebe RoadSuite 900

Arlington, VA 22203

General Information . . . . . (703) 682-9320

Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (703) 682-9321

Extensions:

Donations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205

Website: www.ij.org

E-mail: [email protected]: www.ij.org/donate

Quotable QuotesWJLA-TV

(ABC-7 DC)

IJ Seior attorey Bert Gll: Ifthesign

hadclownsonit,ordragons,ArlingtonCounty

wouldntbetryingtotakeitdown.Wevegot

meddlesomeArlingtonCountybureaucratstry-

ingtoplayartcritic.

Minnesota Public Radio

IJ-Mn attorey Jso adkis: Peoplehavetherighttoknowwhetherlaws

passedbycitiestowhichtheyaresubjectareconstitutional.Ourlawsshouldput

theburdenongovernmenttojustifyitsactions,andnottreatcitizenslikeoutlaws

forchallengingthem.

The Wall Street Journal

[T]henonprofit,libertarianlawfirmthatfiledthecase,theInstituteforJustice,said

abroaderprinciplewasatstake.Atwhatpointdostatelicensingrulesimposeanunreasonablerestrictiononpeoplesabilitytoearnaliving?saidClarkNeily,asenior

attorneywiththefirm,whichisbasedinArlington,Va.

Give Liberty by Giving Monthly

LookingforarewardingandconsistentwaytosupportIJswork?Consider

joiningourMerryBandofMonthlyDonors.Monthlygivingis:

Simpleandconvenient

Cost-effective

EssentialtoIJslong-termsuccess

AttheInstituteforJustice,webelieveinchangingtheworldthroughlong-term,

strategiclitigation,communications,activism,trainingandresearch.Monthlygivers

allowustodoallthisbyprovidingareliablesourceofsupport.

Andmonthlygivingmakesdonatingeasyforyou,toojustsignuponceto

haveyourcreditcardorcheckingaccountchargedeverymonth.Youcancancelor

changeyourmembershipatanytime.

Visitourwebsiteatwww.ij.org/doteorcontactMaryQuintanillaat703-

682-9320x239formoreinformation.u


12/12

bb t J ti B

Institute for Justice901 N. Glebe RoadSuite 900Arlington, VA 22203

[The Istitute for

ustice is] doig

he work of the

gels . . .

effersos gels.

Judge Andrew Napolitano,

Fox Business Channel

NoN-PRoFIT oRG.

U . S . P o S T A G E

P A I D

I N S T I T U T E F o R

J U S T I C E

I i f J i

Our Abbey has been making caskets for over a century.We simply want to sell our plain wooden caskets to pay for food,

health care and the education of our monks.

But the state board and funeral cartel want to shut us down

We are fighting for our right and the right ofevery American to economic liberty.

I am IJ.

Documents

Liberty & Law IJ's Bimonthly Newsletter (April 2011)