Chip Mellor
Encyclopedia
William H. "Chip" Mellor (born December 31, 1950) serves as President and General Counsel of the Institute for Justice
, which he co-founded. Mellor pursues constitutional litigation in four areas: economic liberty, property rights, school choice
, and free speech.
in 1973 and his J.D. from the University of Denver Law School in 1977. From 1979-1983, he practiced public interest law with Mountain States Legal Foundation
in Denver. Following his time there, he served in the Ronald Reagan
Administration as Deputy General Counsel for Legislation and Regulations in the United States Department of Energy
.
From 1986 until 1991, Mellor served as president of the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, a think tank
located in San Francisco, California
. Under Mellor's leadership, the Institute commissioned and published books on civil rights
, property rights, technology
, and the First Amendment
that would later serve as the Institute for Justice
's long-term, strategic litigation blueprint.
founded the Institute for Justice
, a nonprofit libertarian public interest law firm. Under Mellor's leadership, the Institute for Justice
has litigated five U.S. Supreme Court
cases, winning all but one:
In addition, the Institute for Justice
helped pursue the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller
case, in which the Supreme Court struck down Washington D.C.'s ban on hand guns and held that the Second Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for private use.
Mellor personally litigated lawsuits that broke open Denver's 50-year-old taxi monopoly, ended the funeral industry's monopoly on casket sales in Tennessee, and defended New Jersey's welfare reform. He also established the Institute for Justice
Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago
and worked with University of Chicago
professor Richard Epstein on amicus briefs for eight property rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 2008, Mellor co-authored with Robert A. Levy
of the Cato Institute
, The Dirty Dozen (book)
: How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom.http://ij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=598&Itemid=165 The book takes on twelve Supreme Court cases that effectively amended the Constitution and argues for a Supreme Court that will enforce what the Constitution says about civil liberties, property rights and other controversial issues.
Mellor's regular "Constitutional Crossroads" column is carried on Forbes.com and his work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Globe, New York Post, National Law Journal, Reason, National Review, Investor's Business Daily, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, The Today Show, and numerous other radio and television broadcasts and publications.
Institute for Justice
The Institute for Justice is a 501 non-profit libertarian public interest law firm in the United States. Its mission is to provide pro bono legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and...
, which he co-founded. Mellor pursues constitutional litigation in four areas: economic liberty, property rights, school choice
School choice
School choice is a term used to describe a wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school their children will attend. As a matter of form, school choice does not give preference to one form of schooling or another, rather manifests itself whenever a student...
, and free speech.
Prior to the Institute for Justice
Mellor received his B.A. from Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1973 and his J.D. from the University of Denver Law School in 1977. From 1979-1983, he practiced public interest law with Mountain States Legal Foundation
Mountain States Legal Foundation
Mountain States Legal Foundation is a nonprofit, public-interest law firm dedicated to individual liberty, the right to own and use property, limited and ethical government, and economic freedom...
in Denver. Following his time there, he served in the Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Administration as Deputy General Counsel for Legislation and Regulations in the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
.
From 1986 until 1991, Mellor served as president of the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, a think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
located in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Under Mellor's leadership, the Institute commissioned and published books on civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, property rights, technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, and the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
that would later serve as the Institute for Justice
Institute for Justice
The Institute for Justice is a 501 non-profit libertarian public interest law firm in the United States. Its mission is to provide pro bono legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and...
's long-term, strategic litigation blueprint.
The Institute for Justice
In 1991, Mellor and Clint BolickClint Bolick
Clint Bolick , is an American attorney and the director of the Goldwater Institute's Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation in Phoenix, Arizona....
founded the Institute for Justice
Institute for Justice
The Institute for Justice is a 501 non-profit libertarian public interest law firm in the United States. Its mission is to provide pro bono legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and...
, a nonprofit libertarian public interest law firm. Under Mellor's leadership, the Institute for Justice
Institute for Justice
The Institute for Justice is a 501 non-profit libertarian public interest law firm in the United States. Its mission is to provide pro bono legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and...
has litigated five U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
cases, winning all but one:
- In Zelman v. Simmons-HarrisZelman v. Simmons-HarrisZelman v. Simmons-Harris, , was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court which tested the allowance of school vouchers in relation to the establishment clause of the First Amendment....
, the Institute for JusticeInstitute for JusticeThe Institute for Justice is a 501 non-profit libertarian public interest law firm in the United States. Its mission is to provide pro bono legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and...
successfully defended ClevelandCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
's school choiceSchool choiceSchool choice is a term used to describe a wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school their children will attend. As a matter of form, school choice does not give preference to one form of schooling or another, rather manifests itself whenever a student...
program from a lawsuit brought by teachers' unions and other school choice opponents. The landmark Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
ruling held educational vouchers constitutional. - In Granholm v. HealdGranholm v. HealdGranholm v. Heald, 544 U.S. 460 , was a court case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in a 5-4 decision that ruled that laws in New York and Michigan that permitted in-state wineries to ship wine directly to consumers, but prohibited out-of-state wineries from doing the same, were...
, the Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
struck down New York's ban on interstate wine sales. The Institute for JusticeInstitute for JusticeThe Institute for Justice is a 501 non-profit libertarian public interest law firm in the United States. Its mission is to provide pro bono legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and...
successfully argued the laws in question were put in place to protect the monopoly power of large, politically connected liquor wholesalers. The case raised issues of Internet commerce, free trade among the states, and regulations that hamper small businesses and their consumers. - In Kelo v. City of New LondonKelo v. City of New LondonKelo v. City of New London, 545 U.S. 469 was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States involving the use of eminent domain to transfer land from one private owner to another to further economic development...
, the Supreme Court ruled against the Institute in a controversial 5-4 decision that held private property can be taken for private development. The ruling led to a national backlash against eminent domain for private development. During litigation of the Kelo case, IJ launched the Castle CoalitionCastle CoalitionThe Castle Coalition is a nation-wide network of homeowners and citizen activists determined to stop the abuse of eminent domain in their communities, that is, the taking of private property by the government in order to put it to public use...
, a nationwide network of homeowners and citizen activists determined to stop eminent domain for private development. In June 2005, they launched launched a $3 million Hands Off My Home campaign, calling it "an aggressive initiative to effect significant and substantial reforms of state and local eminent domain laws." According to the Institute for JusticeInstitute for JusticeThe Institute for Justice is a 501 non-profit libertarian public interest law firm in the United States. Its mission is to provide pro bono legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and...
, since the Kelo ruling nine state high courts have limited eminent domain powers, 43 state legislatures have passed greater property rights protections, 44 eminent domain abuse projects have been defeated by grassroots activists, and 88 percent of the public now believe that property rights are as important as free speech and freedom of religion. - In Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. WinnArizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. WinnArizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn, , was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. The case was consolidated with Gale Garriott, Director, Arizona Department of Revenue, Petitioner v. Kathleen M...
the Supreme Court upheld Arizona's school choice tax credit program and ruled that state residents do not have a right to challenge a state tax credit simply because they pay taxes. - In June 2011,the Supreme Court struck down the "matching funds" provision of Arizona's campaign finance "Clean Elections" Act as an unconstitutional violation of free speech in Arizona Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett.
In addition, the Institute for Justice
Institute for Justice
The Institute for Justice is a 501 non-profit libertarian public interest law firm in the United States. Its mission is to provide pro bono legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and...
helped pursue the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 , was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes in federal enclaves, such as...
case, in which the Supreme Court struck down Washington D.C.'s ban on hand guns and held that the Second Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
to the U.S. Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for private use.
Mellor personally litigated lawsuits that broke open Denver's 50-year-old taxi monopoly, ended the funeral industry's monopoly on casket sales in Tennessee, and defended New Jersey's welfare reform. He also established the Institute for Justice
Institute for Justice
The Institute for Justice is a 501 non-profit libertarian public interest law firm in the United States. Its mission is to provide pro bono legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and...
Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and worked with University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
professor Richard Epstein on amicus briefs for eight property rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 2008, Mellor co-authored with Robert A. Levy
Robert A. Levy
Robert A. Levy is the chairman of the libertarian Cato Institute and the organizer and financier behind District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court Case that established the Second Amendment as affirming an individual right to gun ownership. He is a Cato senior fellow and an author and pundit...
of the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
, The Dirty Dozen (book)
The Dirty Dozen (book)
The Dirty Dozen is a Cato Institute book, written by Robert A. Levy and William Mellor and released in May 2008, about twelve U.S. Supreme Court decisions that were viewed as greatly undermining individual freedom by expanding the power of government. The book was the subject of many reviews and...
: How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom.http://ij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=598&Itemid=165 The book takes on twelve Supreme Court cases that effectively amended the Constitution and argues for a Supreme Court that will enforce what the Constitution says about civil liberties, property rights and other controversial issues.
Mellor's regular "Constitutional Crossroads" column is carried on Forbes.com and his work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Globe, New York Post, National Law Journal, Reason, National Review, Investor's Business Daily, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, The Today Show, and numerous other radio and television broadcasts and publications.
External links
- March 2008 interview with Reason Magazine.
- Audio interview with the Property and Environment Research Center: http://www.perc.org/perc.php?id=741
- Mellor's Forbes.com "Constitutional Crossroads" column: http://search.forbes.com/search/colArchiveSearch?author=chip+and+mellor&aname=Chip+Mellor
- Mellor's Institute for JusticeInstitute for JusticeThe Institute for Justice is a 501 non-profit libertarian public interest law firm in the United States. Its mission is to provide pro bono legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and...
profile page: http://www.ij.org/staff/mellor.html - Article; How Laws Kill Entrepreneurs by Chip Mellor and Clint BolickClint BolickClint Bolick , is an American attorney and the director of the Goldwater Institute's Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation in Phoenix, Arizona....
: http://www.newcoalition.org/Article.cfm?artId=993