American Juris Link (AJL) is a non-partisan organization that supports public-interest litigators to advance freedom under the rule of law. American Juris Link connects pro-freedom litigators with like-minded organizations in order to build partnerships that promote freedom, fairness, and prosperity. ¹

American Juris Link is an associate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. ² While AJL is non-partisan, a member of its board has affiliations with the Republican Party.

Activity

American Juris Link is a non-partisan organization that supports public interest litigators to advance freedom under the rule of law. American Juris Link connects pro-freedom litigators with like-minded organizations in order to build partnerships that promote freedom, fairness, and prosperity. ³

American Juris Link supports organizations that advocate for First Amendment rights. AJL has connected pro-freedom organizations with litigators and other resources in order to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to hear cases that would extend the reach of the 2018 Janus v. AFSCME decision that barred the collection of mandatory union fees from non-union members in government employment. American Juris Link has connected the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty with the Government Justice Center to assist in a case that would allow lawyers to practice law without joining state-sponsored bar associations. AJL has also connected the Buckeye Institute with the Maine Policy Institute to assist in a case opposing exclusive representation, a state law that authorizes a union to represent non-union workers. ⁴ Additionally, AJL has connected the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation with a local litigator in order to file a lawsuit against the labor union at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, claiming it refused to allow officers to resign from the union and continued collecting mandatory dues. ⁵

American Juris Link has connected the Pacific Legal Foundation with organizations like the Independent Women’s Law Center and the Goldwater Institute to challenge California’s diversity quotas. AJL has also connected the Pacific Legal Foundation with a local litigator to file a case defending property rights in New Hampshire. ⁶

American Juris Link connects pro-liberty organization and constitutional lawyers with local counsel in order to file legal documents related to COVID-19. ⁷ American Juris Link supports organizations that claim privacy rights were violated in cases where doctors were required to reveal their patients, lawyers were required to reveal clients, and businesses were required to report information about every customer. AJL also supports organizations that claim equality rights were violated when certain businesses were allowed to re-open after shutdown orders were lifted, while other businesses were indiscriminately required to remain closed. ⁸

American Juris Link partners with Ballotpedia to track public interest cases that have challenged COVID-19 related emergency orders. Ballotpedia intends to publish a searchable database of all COVID-19 lawsuits. ⁹

Funding

American Juris Link is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While AJL does not disclose its donors, tax filings show donations from the Charles Koch Foundation, which contributed $20,000 in 2019, ¹⁰ DonorsTrust, which contributed $45,000 in 2019,¹¹ and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, which contributed $100,000 in 2020. ¹²

People

Staff

Elliot Engstrom is the legal director of American Juris Link. Engstrom formerly worked as a public interest lawyer at the Civitas Institute, a law clerk at the Goldwater Institute, and as director of communications at Young Americans for Liberty. Engstrom is a former fellow at the John Locke Foundation. ¹³

Board of Directors

Peter Bisbee is the executive director of the Republican Attorney General Association. Bisbee formerly worked as the executive director of the Rule of Law Defense Fund and as director of state courts at the Federalist Society. ¹⁴

Carrie Ann Donnell is the founder and president of American Juris Link. Donnell formerly worked as an attorney and legal programs manager at the Goldwater Institute and as a law clerk at Arizona chapter of the Institute for Justice. ¹⁵

Leslie Graves is the founder and president of the Lucy Burns Institute, which publishes Ballotpedia.org. Graves formerly volunteered with the U.S. Term Limits Foundation. ¹⁶

Tony Woodlief is the executive vice president of the State Policy Network. Woodlief formerly served as president of the Bill of Rights Institute and the Mercatus Center, and as vice president for education projects at the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. ¹⁷

1. “About Us.” American Juris Link, 2020. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://americanjurislink.org/#about.
2. “The Network: Arizona.” State Policy Network, 2021. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://spn.org/directory/#AZ.
3. “About Us.” American Juris Link, 2020. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://americanjurislink.org/#about.
4. “The Juris Journal March 2020.” American Juris Link, 2020. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://americanjurislink.org/newsletter/the-juris-journal-march-2020/.
5. “The Juris Journal September 2020.” American Juris Link, 2020. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://americanjurislink.org/newsletter/the-juris-journal-september-2020/.
6. “The Juris Journal September 2020.” American Juris Link, 2020. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://americanjurislink.org/newsletter/the-juris-journal-september-2020/.
7. “The Juris Journal September 2020.” American Juris Link, 2020. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://americanjurislink.org/newsletter/the-juris-journal-september-2020/.
8. “The Juris Journal June 2020.” American Juris Link, 2020. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://americanjurislink.org/newsletter/the-juris-journal-june-2020/.
9. “The Juris Journal September 2020.” American Juris Link, 2020. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://americanjurislink.org/newsletter/the-juris-journal-september-2020/.
10. Charles Koch Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019, Part XV, Line 3a.
11. Donors Trust, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule I, Part II.
12. “2020 Year in Review.” Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/4152914/BFN-Year%20in%20Review_2020_Web-1.pdf
13. “Elliot Engstrom.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliotengstrom/.
14. “Peter Bisbee.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-bisbee-84341431/.
15. “Carrie Ann Donnell.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sitren/.
16. “Leslie Graves.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliegraves/.
17. “Tony Woodlief.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonywoodlief/.