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On April 12, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled for Pacific Legal Foundation client George Sheetz in a case challenging extortionate permit fees for homebuilders. PLF now has won 18 of 20 cases we’ve litigated at the Supreme Court. Ten of the 18, including Sheetz, were unanimous decisions. Seven were won in the past five years. … ...

One of the main themes of the Passover seder is asking questions. Early in the evening, the youngest child capable of reading (or singing) recites “Ma Nishtana,” which asks why we do things differently tonight—at the seder—from all other nights (we eat matzah, we all recline, etc.). Many parts of the seder are structured to … ...

After winning his match during last weekend’s UFC 300 in Las Vegas, Brazilian mixed martial artist Renato Moicano delivered a rather unconventional victory speech. Renato did not use his moment in the sun to boast of his win against his opponent Jalin Turner or reflect on the long road he traveled to become champion. Instead, … ...

In January, the Supreme Court heard two cases that, according to Vox’s Ian Millhiser, “ask the justices to seize control of much of federal policy-making.” NPR similarly warned that the Supreme Court “could eviscerate the way the federal government regulates, well, everything.” That sounds bad! But those pieces and a w ...

This post has been updated to reflect George Sheetz’s April 12 victory at the Supreme Court. Picture this: You’re a 65-year-old retiree who bought a small parcel of land in El Dorado County, California. In your career you worked your way up from $5-an-hour laborer to head of your own engineering contracting company. Your plans … ...

Rent control is a bad housing policy that won’t go away. Unfortunately, this term, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review not one, not two, but three cases that challenged New York City’s 2019 iteration of the bad housing policy, euphemistically labeled “rent stabilization.” But thanks to Justice Clarence Thomas, the pr ...

The law finally caught up to James Bond — or at least the actor who used to play him. On March 14, 2024, former 007 actor Pierce Brosnan pleaded guilty in federal court in Wyoming to a single count of straying from a footpath in a thermal area of Yellowstone National Park. Brosnan was cited for allegedly standing … ...

James Madison is remembered as the “Father of the Constitution,” and for good reason. His unique approach to politics balanced majority rule and minority rights through a series of battles that forged our constitutional system. His fight for religious liberty in Virginia, the ratification of the Constitution, the founding of the Republi ...

Everywhere we turn these days we see stories of individuals taking up residence in properties they don’t own. It’s called “squatting,” but it’s nothing more than trespassing.  This explainer clarifies why squatting is immoral and illegal, why it’s growing, and how to stop it.  What is squatting? “Squattin ...