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Washington Legal Foundation

The nation’s premier public-interest law firm & policy center

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Who We Are

WLF is a national public-interest law firm and legal policy center. Our mission is to defend American free enterprise by litigating, educating, and advocating for a free market, a limited and accountable government, individual and business civil liberties, and the rule of law.

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What We Do

WLF’s vital work to uphold the legal principles that support our free enterprise system are categorized into:

  1. Combating Litigation Abuse
  2. Defending the Rule of Law
  3. Opposing Overregulation
  4. Protecting Economic Liberties

Litigation

Litigation is the backbone of WLF’s public-interest efforts. WLF litigates before state and federal courts and agencies nationwide. WLF’s litigation team takes a multi-faceted approach to protect and uphold the legal principles that support our free-enterprise system.

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Legal Studies

Successfully advocating for a legal and regulatory environment that fosters free enterprise requires the timely dissemination and steady reinforcement of compelling arguments and ideas to those lawyers and jurists who shape the law.

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The Latest

WLF Legal Pulse
July 15, 2026

Respecting the Scope of DC’s Home Rule Act as Applied to Consumer Protection

The federal Home Rule Act constrains the District of Columbia's attorney general from pursuing consumer-protection-oriented claims against oil companies for alleged climate-change harms.

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Legal Backgrounders
July 14, 2026

Against Rumsfeld Deference: Don’t Let the “Fighting Constitution” Capture the Peacetime First Amendment

Courts should cease reliance on a post-9/11 SCOTUS ruling to justify deference to the government's position in First Amendment cases outside of the wartime context.

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EPA’s Proposed NEPA Regulatory Reform Merits Supportive Public Comments

Regulated businesses affected by federal environmental permit reviews should comment by July 27 on EPA's proposed streamlining of the NEPA process.

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Press Releases
July 13, 2026

WLF Applauds SEC’s Proposal to Rescind Climate-Related Disclosure Rules

SEC Rescission of Climate-Related Disclosure Rules

WLF's comment letter supports the SEC's proposal to rescind a rule mandating businesses' disclosure of climate-related risks, which would have violated the First Amendment.

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WLF Legal Pulse
July 13, 2026

When the Thing Does Not Speak: The Seventh Circuit Rejects Expansion of Res Ipsa Loquitur

The appeals court properly limited an ancient legal doctrine that relieves plaintiffs from the need to provide causational evidence in a case involving airline employee uniforms.

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WLF Legal Pulse
July 9, 2026

4th Circuit Donning-and-Doffing Decision Offers New Lessons on Opposing Class Cert

The Fourth Circuit stresses that trial courts must carefully examine the possible disparities among class members' claims when performing Rule 23 predominance and commonality inquiries.

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Press Releases
July 9, 2026

WLF Asks Eleventh Circuit to Reverse Punitive Damages Award Against Tesla

Benavides v. Telsa, Inc.

WLF asked the Eleventh Circuit to reverse a $200 million punitive- damages award in a products-liability case against Tesla.

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