Liberty Justice Center
| Liberty Justice Center | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Austin, Texas |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Top official: | Sara Albrecht, Board of Directors Chair |
| Founder(s): | John Tillman and Patrick Hughes |
| Year founded: | 2011 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Liberty Justice Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Austin, Texas that describes itself as "a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public-interest litigation firm that seeks to protect economic liberty, private property rights, free speech, and other fundamental rights."[1] The center was founded in 2011.[1]
Background
The Liberty Justice Center was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 2011 by John Tillman and Patrick Hughes.[2][3] Since then, the center has relocated to Austin, Texas.[4] According to the center website, it "pursues its goals through strategic, precedent-setting litigation to revitalize constitutional restraints on government power and protections for individual rights."[1] As of September 2025, the Liberty Justice Center website included the following advocacy areas:[5]
- Government overreach: "The government should not stop your business or non-profit from growing simply because it prefers your competitors."[6]
- Free speech: "We work to ensure that advocates are free to express themselves and support issues that matter to them without the fear of reprisal. We’ve also got the backs of journalists who face pushback from the government as a result of their work to hold politicians accountable and to increase government transparency."[7]
- School choice: "Nobody should stop you from sending your child to the school that’s best suited to your family."[8]
- Workers’ rights: "No government worker can be required to pay money to a government union as a condition of working in public service."[9]
Leadership
As of September 2025, the Liberty Justice Center's Board of Directors included the following individuals:[10]
- Sara Albrecht, Chair
- Corey A. DeAngelis, Board Member
- Brian Timpone, Board Member
Work and activities
Janus v. AFSCME
- See also: Janus v. AFSCME
On June 27, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Janus v. AFSCME, holding that public sector unions cannot require non-member employees to pay agency fees covering the costs of non-political union activities. This ruling overturned precedent established in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education in 1977. Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center were among those representing the plaintiff, Mark Janus.
The Liberty Justice Center said of the case, "This landmark case restores the First Amendment rights of free speech and freedom of association to more than five million public school teachers, first responders and other government workers across the country."[11]
Notable endorsements
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Finances
The following is a breakdown of Liberty Justice Center's revenues and expenses from 2012 to 2023. The information comes from ProPublica
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $2.8 million | $2.7 million |
| 2022 | $2.33 million | $3.35 million |
| 2021 | $6.29 million | $3.31 million |
| 2020 | $2.31 million | $2.18 million |
| 2019 | $2.26 million | $2.26 million |
| 2018 | $2.25 million | $1.41 million |
| 2017 | $692,322 | $559,903 |
| 2016 | $494,000 | $477,968 |
| 2015 | $349,250 | $367,155 |
| 2014 | $343,000 | $341,718 |
| 2013 | $225,035 | $211,011 |
| 2012 | $150,000 | $144,645 |
See also
- What is an influencer?
- State influencers
- Texas
- Janus v. AFSCME
- Public-sector union policy in the United States, 2018-2023
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Liberty Justice Center official website
- Liberty Justice Center on Facebook
- Liberty Justice Center on Twitter
- Liberty Justice Center on YouTube
- Liberty Justice Center on LinkedIn
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Liberty Justice Center, "About," accessed September 21, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Policy, "John Tillman | Chairman," accessed September 21, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Opportunity Project, "Patrick Hughes," accessed September 21, 2025
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Liberty Justice Center," accessed September 21, 2025
- ↑ Liberty Justice Center, "Home," accessed September 21, 2025
- ↑ Liberty Justice Center, "Government overreach," accessed September 21, 2025
- ↑ Liberty Justice Center, "Free speech," accessed September 21, 2025
- ↑ Liberty Justice Center, "School choice," accessed September 21, 2025
- ↑ Liberty Justice Center, "Workers’ rights," accessed September 21, 2025
- ↑ Liberty Justice Center, "Board of Directors," accessed September 21, 2025
- ↑ Liberty Justice Center, "Janus v. AFSCME," accessed September 6, 2022
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