# Constitution and Law 

![The U.S. Supreme Court - Photo Credit: Claire Anderson](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/optimized/public/2020-10/claire-anderson-Vq__yk6faOI-unsplash.jpg?itok=g_6NwWnQ) 

At a Glance 

Cato’s scholars address a wide range of constitutional and legal issues—including federalism, property rights, civil liberties, criminal law and procedure, qualified immunity, civil asset forfeiture, and the Second Amendment, to name a few. Cato expects the judiciary to be the “bulwark” of our liberties, as James Madison put it, neither making up nor ignoring the law but interpreting and applying it through the natural rights tradition we inherited from the Founding generation.

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#### Topics 

- [Constitutional Law](/constitutional-law)
- [Criminal Justice](/criminal-justice)
- [Free Speech and Civil Liberties](/free-speech-civil-liberties)

[![The Illustrated Supreme Court Review 2025-2026 cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/2026-09/2025-2026-illustrated-cato-supreme-court-review-cover%20Cropped.png?itok=9ifjwUwq)](https://www.cato.org/publications/illustrated-supreme-court-review-2025-2026) 

Publications 

## [*The Illustrated Supreme Court Review 2025–2026*](/publications/illustrated-supreme-court-review-2025-2026) 

By [Brent Skorup](https://www.cato.org/people/brent-skorup), [James Craven](https://www.cato.org/people/james-craven), [Laura Bondank-Harmon](https://www.cato.org/people/laura-bondank), [Dan Greenberg](https://www.cato.org/people/dan-greenberg), & [Walter Olson](https://www.cato.org/people/walter-olson) 

[![2025/26 Supreme Court Review 16x9](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/2026-09/2025-2026-supreme-court-review-cover%20Cropped.jpg?itok=nsBrgbyc)](https://www.cato.org/supreme-court-review/2025-2026) 

### [Supreme Court Review: 2025–2026](/supreme-court-review/2025-2026) 

This Term featured several blockbuster cases that captured the public’s attention. But all too often, the media boiled down Supreme Court decisions into a single bottom line: who won? And when the winner or loser is as high-profile and controversial as the President of the United States, most people will form their opinions of a decision based only on that same question: who won? The reality, of course, is that Supreme Court decisions are complex, and the Justices decide cases based not on *who* the parties are, but on *what* the parties are trying to do.

[![trump 5](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/2025-02/trump%205.jpg?itok=MtpNuGtC)](https://www.cato.org/blog/congress-should-put-end-pocket-rescissions) 

blog 

### [Congress Should Put an End to Pocket Rescissions](/blog/congress-should-put-end-pocket-rescissions) 

By [David Ditch](https://www.cato.org/people/david-ditch) 

Congress has the power and responsibility to authorize and manage all aspects of federal spending. It should start acting like it.

[![Media Name: 201602_iphone.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/homepage-images/201602_iphone.jpg?itok=jw_j2Eft)](https://www.cato.org/blog/anibowei-v-blanche-brief-tightening-border-search-loophole) 

blog 

### [*Anibowei v. Blanche* Brief: Tightening the Border Search Loophole](/blog/anibowei-v-blanche-brief-tightening-border-search-loophole) 

By [Matthew Cavedon](https://www.cato.org/people/matthew-cavedon) 

The border-search exception exists to control what and who enters the country. It was never meant to give the government a warrantless window into the digital lives of everyone coming back home.

[![patriot-day-911.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/2021-08/patriot-day-911.jpg?itok=B53e0_PI)](https://www.cato.org/commentary/9/11s-aftereffect-constitutional-accountability-abyss) 

Commentary 

### [9/11’s Aftereffect: The Constitutional Accountability Abyss](/commentary/9/11s-aftereffect-constitutional-accountability-abyss) 

By [Patrick G. Eddington](https://www.cato.org/people/patrick-g-eddington) 

9/11 didn’t change us, we *allowed it* to change us, and in doing so critically damaged our very own political way of life.

[![Media Name: greg-gawlowski-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-of-america-washington-dc-usa.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/promo_block/public/wp-content/uploads/greg-gawlowski-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-of-america-washington-dc-usa.jpg?itok=N0qD3xgh)](https://www.cato.org/about/cato-amicus-program) 

##### Legal Briefs 

### [Cato at the Supreme Court](https://www.cato.org/about/cato-amicus-program)

The Cato Institute is one of the [biggest filers of amicus curiae (Latin for “friend of the court”) briefs](https://www.cato.org/publications/archives/public-filings/legal-briefs) in the Supreme Court. These briefs are filed with the Supreme Court by third parties who have a special interest or expertise in a case and want to influence the Court’s decisions. In all our briefs, Cato maintains an unwavering commitment to articulating how the principles of liberty and a commitment to the original meaning of the Constitution should guide judicial decisions.

[About Our Amicus Briefs](https://www.cato.org/about/cato-amicus-program) 

#### Featured Publications 

[![Cornerstone of Liberty Book Cover](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/aside_mobile/public/books/cornerstone-of-liberty.jpg?itok=qto2wreC)](https://www.cato.org/books/cornerstone-liberty-property-rights-21st-century-america-0) 

### [Cornerstone of Liberty](/books/cornerstone-liberty-property-rights-21st-century-america-0)

##### Property Rights in 21st Century America

This book shows why the right to ownership is one of the most essential of human rights, how that right is protected in the U.S. Constitution, and how ordinary property owners can help rein in government violations of private property rights.

[View book](/books/cornerstone-liberty-property-rights-21st-century-america-0) 

[![Cato Pocket Constitution cover image](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/aside_mobile/public/2020-04/9781948647533_retail%20edition.jpg?itok=yBkhe1Ws)](https://store.cato.org/collections/all-products/products/cato-pocket-constitution) 

### [Cato Pocket Constitution](https://store.cato.org/collections/all-products/products/cato-pocket-constitution)

To encourage people everywhere to better understand and appreciate the principles of government that are set forth in America’s Founding documents, the Cato Institute published this pocket edition (3.5” x 5”) of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America.

[Purchase](https://store.cato.org/collections/all-products/products/cato-pocket-constitution) 

#### Meet Our Experts 

[![Thomas Berry](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2026-02/2025-10-16-Thomas%20Berry-sq_0.jpg?itok=4AhtjRpk)](/people/thomas-berry) 

##### [Thomas A. Berry](/people/thomas-berry)

Director, Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies

[![Matthew Cavedon-cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2025-11/Matthew%20Cavedon-cropped.jpg?itok=iF-7RHjW)](/people/matthew-cavedon) 

##### [Matthew Cavedon](/people/matthew-cavedon)

Director, Project on Criminal Justice

[![Media Name: duffield-cropped.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/duffield-cropped.jpg?itok=lojJjrdQ)](/people/will-duffield) 

##### [Will Duffield](/people/will-duffield)

Adjunct Scholar

[![Patrick G. Eddington](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/Patrick%20Eddington.jpg?itok=ZZOgYGj0)](/people/patrick-g-eddington) 

##### [Patrick G. Eddington](/people/patrick-g-eddington)

Senior Fellow

[![Dan Greenberg cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2025-03/Dan%20Greenberg%20cropped.png?itok=QBqjZ-V6)](/people/dan-greenberg) 

##### [Dan Greenberg](/people/dan-greenberg)

Senior Legal Fellow

[![Robert A. Levy](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/Bob%20Levy.jpg?itok=Z-7yyJto)](/people/robert-levy) 

##### [Robert A. Levy](/people/robert-levy)

Chairman Emeritus

[![Clark Neily](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/Clark%20Neily.jpg?itok=iSXnNmXb)](/people/clark-neily) 

##### [Clark Neily](/people/clark-neily)

Senior Vice President for Legal Studies 

[![Walter Olson](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/Walter%20Olson.jpg?itok=4GBA-bGx)](/people/walter-olson) 

##### [Walter Olson](/people/walter-olson)

Senior Fellow

[![Roger Pilon](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/Roger%20Pilon.jpg?itok=JxqgaJBE)](/people/roger-pilon) 

##### [Roger Pilon](/people/roger-pilon)

Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies

[![Media Name: rosenkranz.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/authors/crops/rosenkranz.jpg?itok=w_DNefYy)](/people/nicholas-quinn-rosenkranz) 

##### [Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz](/people/nicholas-quinn-rosenkranz)

Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies

[![john-samples-cropped-final.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2022-08/john-samples-cropped-final.jpg?itok=fglX3jIb)](/people/john-samples) 

##### [John Samples](/people/john-samples)

Senior Fellow

[![ilya-somin-cropped.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2023-04/ilya-somin-cropped.jpg?itok=5Mfm5le8)](/people/ilya-somin) 

##### [Ilya Somin](/people/ilya-somin)

B. Kenneth Simon Chair in Constitutional Studies