Separation of Powers

This summer, Israelis mobilized into rival factions in a contentious battle over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial reform proposals. These reforms would limit the Israeli court’s power to invalidate laws and give lawmaker’s greater control over judicial appointments. Proponents believe these reforms are needed to preven ...

If a federal agency does something wrong to you—if bureaucrats penalize you for something you didn’t do, or cheat you out of something that should be yours—the courts should set things right. But sometimes, instead, a court will invoke Chevron Deference and defer to the federal agency.  Chevron Deference is a doctrine created by the  ...

The Department of Labor proposed an audacious rule that will dictate salary level requirements for 3.4 million employees without any clear authority. The rule would require employers to pay salaried employees at least $55,068 in annual compensation, which is an over 60% increase from the DOL’s current mandate that salaried employees must be p ...

PLF clients Tom and Amy Villegas have reason to celebrate after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) backed down from its outrageous claim that the couple violated the Clean Water Act (CWA). An oasis in Nebraska Tom and Amy Villegas love the outdoors. While the couple calls Colorado home, they have a deep connection with the … ...

An Arizona mother unjustly accused of child neglect has reason to celebrate, after a trial judge allowed the state’s Department of Child Safety to drop their charges against her.  In 2021, Pacific Legal Foundation client Sarra L* was unjustly accused of child neglect after she let her son play alone at a safe neighborhood park … ...

To safeguard the American people against tyranny, the Framers of our Constitution created a political system with three distinct branches of government—executive, legislative, and judicial—each tasked with its own unique and specific powers. To ensure that no one branch could usurp the role of another, a system of checks and balances was instit ...

At the end of June, the Supreme Court issued its long-awaited ruling in Haaland v. Brackeen, deciding that the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and its controversially unequal treatment of Native American children in child custody disputes survives constitutional scrutiny—for now. However, the decision also serves as a call to reconsider the reaso ...

If you were looking for someone to strike a crippling blow against the administrative state, you might not think to start with a small, family-owned commercial fishing company in New Jersey. But constitutional heroes are often surprising. And that’s the case with Loper Bright Enterprises. Their case — which the Supreme Court will hear this ...

When you cast a vote for your chosen candidate, you are not only making your voice heard in one of our most cherished civic rituals but also endorsing the fundamental principle of democratic accountability, according to which, government officials are expected to be answerable to the people. Ensuring that the people remain in control of … ...