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Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) is the first and oldest conservative/libertarian public interest law firm in the United States.〔Zumbrun, Ronald A. (2004). “Life, Liberty, and Property Rights,” in ''Bringing Justice to the People: The Story of the Freedom-Based Public Interest Law Movement'' (Lee Edwards, ed.). Washington, DC: Heritage Books, ISBN 0-9743665-2-8, p.41.〕 PLF was established for the purpose of defending and promoting individual and economic freedom in the courts.〔Zumbrun, Ronald A. (2004). “Life, Liberty, and Property Rights,” in ''Bringing Justice to the People: The Story of the Freedom-Based Public Interest Law Movement'' (Lee Edwards, ed.). Washington, DC: Heritage Books, ISBN 0-9743665-2-8, p.41-42.〕 To that end, PLF attorneys litigate, file ''amicus curiae'' briefs, and participate in administrative proceedings with the goal of supporting free enterprise, private property rights, limited & unrestrictive environmental regulation, and the principle of limited government. PLF is a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to the Foundation qualify for a charitable tax deduction.〔http://community.pacificlegal.org/Page.aspx?pid=262〕 PLF does not charge for legal services, but instead provides representation in cases raising important policy issues that go beyond the narrow interest of the parties before the court. Incorporated in Sacramento, California, on March 5, 1973, PLF’s staff was originally composed mainly of individuals who had been a part of then-Governor Ronald Reagan’s welfare reform team.〔Zumbrun, Ronald A. (2004). “Life, Liberty, and Property Rights,” in ''Bringing Justice to the People: The Story of the Freedom-Based Public Interest Law Movement'' (Lee Edwards, ed.). Washington, DC: Heritage Books, ISBN 0-9743665-2-8, p.42-43.〕 Operating on a proposed budget of $117,000 for the first 10 months of operation, PLF attorneys began litigation activities in June 1973 under the direction of Ronald A. Zumbrun, PLF’s first president.〔Zumbrun, Ronald A. (2004). “Life, Liberty, and Property Rights,” in ''Bringing Justice to the People: The Story of the Freedom-Based Public Interest Law Movement'' (Lee Edwards, ed.). Washington, DC: Heritage Books, ISBN 0-9743665-2-8, p.43-44.〕 Over the four decades of PLF’s existence, its attorneys have obtained favorable decisions from many of the nation’s courts. ==Legal Program== Property Rights PLF's property rights cases have focused on regulatory takings. The Foundation's attorneys have successfully argued four takings cases at the United States Supreme Court: ''Nollan v. California Coastal Commission'', ''Suitum v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency'', ''Palazzolo v. Rhode Island'', and ''Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District''. Environmental Law PLF's environmental law litigation has frequently involved challenges to federal regulation of private property under the Clean Water Act or the Endangered Species Act. For example, PLF attorneys represented a Minnesota property owner who was denied the right to build on his property in ''Contoski v. Scarlett'',〔Not Reported in F.Supp.2d, 2006 WL 2331180 (D.Minn.), 63 ERC 1892, No. 05-2528, Aug. 10, 2006.〕 a case that resulted in the removal of the bald eagle from the endangered species list. The PLF was lead plaintiff in one of the first known Strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) suits in the U.S., which attempted to obtain the mailing list of the Abalone Alliance to get the group to pay for the police costs of the largest anti-nuclear civil-disobedience act in U.S. history, at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. The case was rejected multiple times for PLF's lack of standing, and was eventually dismissed altogether. The PLF stated that it did receive funding from utility companies, but would not disclose whether PG&E, the plant's owner, had contributed. Individual Rights PLF has participated in cases challenging government-sponsored race and sex preferences, both under the federal Constitution's Equal Protection Clause and state constitutional provisions such as California's Proposition 209 and Washington's I 200. Under its "Free Enterprise Project," PLF argues that certain licensing laws and similar regulations violate the individual right to earn a living and result in a loss of jobs and a lower standard of living for Americans. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pacific Legal Foundation」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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