Amy Cao et al. v. Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology
Manicurists and nail salon owners fight for their right to a trial by jury
Licensed cosmetologist Amy Cao, represented by Pacific Legal Foundation and the Pelican Institute, is fighting back in a state lawsuit to affirm the right to jury trials to challenge licensing board fines.
Movie Productions v. National Labor Relations Board
NLRB’s in-house tribunal undermines fairness and rule of law
Labor disputes should be treated like any other legal dispute, not in an agency tribunal where the normal fixed rules of due process are not guaranteed. PLF is representing Producer David Wulf free of charge in a federal lawsuit challenging the NLRB’s decision and its sham court that stripped his right to a fair trial.
theDove, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission
Nonprofit radio station owner fights FCC’s public shaming rule
Perry is fighting back with a federal lawsuit challenging the FCC’s race-and-sex-reporting rule to help restore the separation of powers in government and protect the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection of the laws.
Russo v. Raimondo
Florida fishermen challenge constitutionality of fishery management councils
When a new regulation makes life worse for commercial fishermen, those fishermen have little recourse—because fishing regulations come from a confusing, multi-layered combination of federal and state bureaucrats with little accountability to either voters or the president. That system is unconstitutional, and two Florida fishermen are challenging it in court.
Iliamna Natives Limited, et al. v. EPA
Alaska Natives fight EPA roadblock to economic and social progress
Iliamna and Alaska Peninsula are fighting back to rein in the EPA’s overreach so they can promote Alaska Natives’ self-determination and socio-economic development while protecting their Native culture and traditions through agreements with the mine operators. Represented at no charge by Pacific Legal Foundation, they are challenging the EPA’s so-called veto authority as a violation of the Constitution’s separation of powers.
ATS Tree Services, LLC v. Federal Trade Commission
Small business owner fights FTC’s lawless non-compete ban
Adam Servin founded ATS Tree Services in 2014, offering tree removal services and firewood sales in Pennsylvania. ATS asks new employees to sign a one-year non-compete agreement, meaning an employee who leaves must wait one year before working at a competitor tree care company in the same geographic area as ATS. In 2024, the FTC issued a new rule banning all non-compete agreements in the United States. Represented by Pacific Legal Foundation at no charge, ATS is fighting the FTC’s unchecked power grab in federal court to preserve its ability to provide good jobs and valuable training, hold a powerful federal agency accountable to the rule of law, and restore the proper limits of the FTC’s authority as Congress intended.
CTM Holdings LLC v. USDA
Farming family fights government’s illegal restrictions on their livelihood
Iowa attorney Jim Conlan grew up in a farming family, so when considering new investment options, reconnecting with his family legacy through agriculture was a natural fit. But Jim’s efforts to support this time-honored industry soon ran headlong into government overreach by regulators that lack his deep respect for farming’s critical role in sustaining lives and livelihoods—and for the Constitution’s property rights protections. Represented at no charge by Pacific Legal Foundation, Liberty Justice Center, and Upper Midwest Law Center, Jim is fighting back against the agencies’ abusive and improper use of government authority. His federal lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the Swampbuster statute to hold regulators accountable to the rule of law and restore private property rights for farmers and everyone else.
Green v. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Fishermen fight illegal fishing ban
In 2021, President Biden issued a presidential proclamation that banned commercial fishing across millions of acres in the fertile Georges Bank region of the North Atlantic Ocean, a devastating blow to New England’s iconic fishing industry. If the president can designate “ecosystems” and millions of acres of the ocean floor as “a national monument,” there is no meaningful limit on what the president can designate under the Antiquities Act. Nor is there any meaningful limit on how much “land” he can rope off from productive use.
White v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Feds ignore the Supreme Court to prosecute property owners
Robert White worked for many years to build a highly successful commercial seafood business in North Carolina. While he earned a good livelihood, he invested much of his earnings in coastal property as a way to ensure financial security for his children.But now Robert and his family face financial ruin due to a remorseless power grab by two federal agencies, even after they were unanimously rebuked by the Supreme Court. Represented at no charge by Pacific Legal Foundation, Robert is challenging the agencies’ illegal provisions in federal court to restore his own right to make use of his own land, and to ensure both agencies’ compliance and courts’ proper application of Sackett II.