Our Recent Work
At FJI, we are committed to defending civil rights and advocating for justice in Florida.
Explore the current cases we are passionately pursuing to protect and empower our community.
Hillsborough County Sued for Punishing People Who Ask Drivers for Help
The Florida Justice Institute has filed a lawsuit against Hillsborough County against an ordinance that criminalizes panhandling.
FJI Lawsuit Says Miami’s Ban on Panhandling Hurts Free Speech
The Florida Justice Institute (FJI) and Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP have filed a lawsuit against the City of Miami, challenging an ordinance that criminalizes panhandling. This law raises First Amendment concerns by targeting specific speech forms. With nearly 400 arrests made, the plaintiffs—Miami residents experiencing homelessness—argue that it fails to address poverty’s root causes. Discover how this case seeks to protect the rights of vulnerable communities and challenge poverty criminalization in Florida.
Florida Prison Rule Would Block People From Reaching Their Lawyers
May 7, 2025 MIAMI— Florida Justice Institute, together with other civil rights groups, have objected for a second time to a proposed legal mail rule by the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) that would make it more difficult for attorneys to communicate with incarcerated people. This is the second time
Florida Prison System Seizes Beating Victim’s Settlement, FJI and SPLC Sue
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and Florida Justice Institute (FJI) have filed federal and state suits challenging the Florida Department of Corrections’ (FDC) enforcement of a $547,850 lien against an incarcerated person, arguing that it violates federal law to confiscate civil rights settlement funds and state law to do so without
FJI Pushes Cities Toward Housing, Not Arrests
April 8, 2025 Today, Southern Legal Counsel, the National Homelessness Law Center, the Southern Poverty Law center, and the Florida Justice Institute advocated for change by sending letters to public officials in 21 cities and counties urging the use of non-punitive measures as they implement a statewide camping restriction that was passed
FJI Joins Legal Community Urging AG to Defend Equal Justice
March 28, 2025 FJI has signed on to the below letter, which represents a broad coalition of lawyers, legal organizations, law schools, law firms, and other throughout the legal community and across the ideological spectrum, urging the Attorney General to defend the rule of law and the legal profession against