About
Michael Bindas is a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice (IJ), which he joined in 2005. He litigates economic liberty, property rights, school choice and free speech cases in federal and state courts nationwide. He also directs IJ’s National Food Freedom Initiative.
Michael successfully represented Blayne and Julie McAferty when the City of Seattle tried to shut down their bed and breakfast under an arbitrary and irrational land use regulation, and he helped defend the free speech and association rights of the No New Gas Tax initiative campaign when several Washington municipalities tried to use campaign finance laws to regulate media commentary concerning the initiative. On behalf of the DeBoom, Apodaca and Hamilton families, Michael successfully challenged Washington’s denial of special education services to children in religious schools. And he vindicated the right of McMinnville, Ore., dairy farmer Christine Anderson to advertise the raw milk she sells at Cast Iron Farm.
Currently, Michael is representing property rights activist Jim Roos of St. Louis, as well as Central Radio Company of Norfolk, Va., against governmental attempts to silence their protests of those cities’ abusive eminent domain practices. On behalf of the Oakley, Doyle and Anderson families, he is defending the Choice Scholarship Program for elementary and secondary students in Douglas County, Colorado. Michael is also representing brothers Jim and Cliff Courtney in challenging the government-created ferry monopoly on Washington’s Lake Chelan.
Prior to joining IJ, Michael spent three years as an attorney with Perkins Coie LLP, where he litigated constitutional and False Claims Act issues. He is a former law clerk to Judge Rhesa Hawkins Barksdale of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and served as an engineer officer in the United States Army and Pennsylvania Army National Guard before beginning his legal career.
Michael received his law degree cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2001, where he served as Articles Editor for the Journal of Constitutional Law and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He received his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1995.
Michael Bindas is a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice (IJ), which he joined in 2005. He litigates economic liberty, property rights, school choice and free speech cases in federal and state courts nationwide. He also directs IJ’s National Food Freedom Initiative.
Michael successfully represented Blayne and Julie McAferty when the City of Seattle tried to shut down their bed and breakfast under an arbitrary and irrational land use regulation, and he helped defend the free speech and association rights of the No New Gas Tax initiative campaign when several Washington municipalities tried to use campaign finance laws to regulate media commentary concerning the initiative. On behalf of the DeBoom, Apodaca and Hamilton families, Michael successfully challenged Washington’s denial of special education services to children in religious schools. And he vindicated the ri...
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