Cato’s scholars address a wide range of constitutional and legal issues—including federalism, property rights, civil liberties, criminal law and procedure, qualified immunity, civil asset forfeiture, and the Second Amendment, to name a few. Cato expects the judiciary to be the “bulwark” of our liberties, as James Madison put it, neither making up nor ignoring the law but interpreting and applying it through the natural rights tradition we inherited from the Founding generation.
Constitution and Law
Legal Briefs
Cato at the Supreme Court
The Cato Institute is one of the biggest filers of amicus curiae (Latin for “friend of the court”) briefs in the Supreme Court. These briefs are filed with the Supreme Court by third parties who have a special interest or expertise in a case and want to influence the Court’s decisions. In all our briefs, Cato maintains an unwavering commitment to articulating how the principles of liberty and a commitment to the original meaning of the Constitution should guide judicial decisions.
Featured Publications
Cornerstone of Liberty
Property Rights in 21st Century America
This book shows why the right to ownership is one of the most essential of human rights, how that right is protected in the U.S. Constitution, and how ordinary property owners can help rein in government violations of private property rights.
Cato Pocket Constitution
To encourage people everywhere to better understand and appreciate the principles of government that are set forth in America’s Founding documents, the Cato Institute published this pocket edition (3.5” x 5”) of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America.
