In 2013, government agents forced Rose Knick to allow public access to a suspected gravesite on her farmland. Rose sued over the unconstitutional property taking. But a federal court refused to hear her federal claim citing the 1985 Supreme Court decision Williamson County. Rose has asked the Court to overturn this precedent so property rights are on equal footing with other rights such as due process and free speech. On behalf of Rose and all property owners, PLF will argue Knick before the Supreme Court on October 3, 2018.
Read Rose Knick’s case
Pacific Legal Foundation is one of the most active and effective public interest legal organizations in the United States. PLF has won an unprecedented ten cases for its clients before the Supreme Court, out of its twelve direct appearances—a record of success unmatched by any other public interest legal organization.
Read about our missionD.M. & Z.G. v. Minnesota State High School League
When 16-year-old Dmitri Moua discovered dancing, he also found a new way to be a part of a team, and build his self-confidence. But when he wanted to join his high school’s competitive dance team, he was denied because he is a boy. Dmitri’s school is in the Minnesota High School League—whose bylaws declare competitive dance a “girls only” sport. On behalf of Dmitri, Pacific Legal Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the rule’s constitutionality.
Read moreFreedom Foundation v. Washington Dept. of Ecology
Each year around the holidays, Washington-based Freedom Foundation sends staff members to the lobbies of state agency buildings. These staffers—dressed as Santa—hand out leaflets that explain state employees’ right to opt out of union dues. Allowed by most agencies, the Washington Department of Ecology in 2017 instead prohibited the leafletting. Even worse is that the agency kicked Santa out of its lobby while allowing other organizations to engage in political expression there—including the union itself. Represented by Pacific Legal Foundation, Freedom Foundation is suing the Department of Ecology in federal court for violating the First Amendment.
Read moreRentberry v. City of Seattle
Rentberry is a small San Francisco-based startup that connects landlords and renters through a rent-bidding website. The company hopes to expand its service to Seattle, however city council adopted a one-year moratorium on the service over concerns it might violate existing rental law and might inflate housing costs—despite no evidence that either is true. Pacific Legal Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Rentberry, arguing the moratorium prohibits free speech rights of Rentberry, as well as the landlords and renters who would like to use such sites to communicate.
Read moreNinth Circuit holds that permafrost is a navigable water Today the Ninth Circuit in this opinion ruled against our clients in Tin Cup LLC v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Tin … ›
Read moreWhile the United States has much to thank Great Britain for, including our common law system and our preference for coffee over tea, when it comes to modern politics the … ›
Read moreThe tendency for courts to broadly defer to agency decisions frustrates the judiciary’s core function as the adjudicative branch of government. Such deference also frustrates individual rights by sweeping constitutional … ›
Read moreWhile the football in UC Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium is often ugly, 2017’s game against Weber State occurred on a beautiful fall day. The independent food vendors were out in force … ›
Read morePreliminary injunction briefing completed in Minnesota dance case This week we finished briefing our motion for a preliminary injunction in D.M. v. Minnesota State High School League. In this case, … ›
Read moreNext Monday is Constitution Day, and marks the 229th birthday of the U.S. Constitution. Arguably the most envied, most copied, and most successful founding document in the history of the … ›
Read moreDmitri Moua and Zachary Greenwald are Minnesota high school juniors who love to dance. But due to a state-sanctioned rule in Minnesota, boys are prohibited from trying out for high school … ›
Read moreLate last week, the California Fourth District Court of Appeal issued an unpublished decision in San Diego Unified Port District v. California Coastal Commission. Reversing the trial court, the court … ›
Read moreOur friends at Institute for Justice have convinced the Supreme Court to soon decide in the case Timbs v. Indiana whether the Constitution restrains states (and not just the federal government) from … ›
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