My Nonprofit Reviews

The Institute for Justice provides an excellent model of advocacy for economic liberty and individual rights. The organization starts with highly principled and top-flight lawyers, researchers and support staff. They carefully choose the issues and cases that will have the highest impact in improving the law and processes in areas of great importance in American society, with a strong focus on the people who would not otherwise ever have a voice in public policy direction; their clients and causes, if not “underdogs”, are those who would not have the ability to be heard because of the expense and structural impediments to being heard. The issue-areas they chose represent an effort to help the “middle-marginalized”; those who do not naturally have advocacy groups, but would never be able to challenge injustice if not for IJ.
The other aspect of IJ’s excellent model is their commitment to advocacy through multiple fronts. They are not just a “merry band of litigators” as they have so aptly been described, but they are dedicated researchers, analysts, and lobbyists. They research and prepare well-documented position papers, news releases, and legislative brief, commanding a place at the table in the media (including excellent internet offering in various ways (my favorite – “Deep Dives”)), state legislatures and Congress, as well as being extremely effective in the courts at the state and federal level. They have a tight, efficient organization that really knows how to “get it done”.