Cause of Action

What Cause of Action does

Cause of Action Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The organization's mission is to enhance individual and economic liberty by limiting the power of the administrative state, pursued through three primary levers: pro bono legal representation in federal court cases, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation, and investigative reporting on federal agency conduct.

The institute's docket spans administrative law, constitutional law, FOIA enforcement, and regulatory challenges. Its most consequential work was the representation of New Jersey herring fishermen in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, a Supreme Court case decided in June 2024 that overruled the Chevron deference doctrine. Other notable representations include D-Link Systems and LabMD in FTC data-security matters, Vylah Tec in an FTC deception case, the TABOR Foundation in a Colorado tax-approval dispute, and a systematic FOIA litigation campaign targeting agencies including the FTC, CFPB, DOJ, Commerce Department, EPA, and the White House Counsel. The organization also coordinates amicus brief coalitions, organizes public education through media appearances, and operates the "Grading the Government" project, which evaluates federal agency responsiveness to FOIA requests.

Cause of Action Institute does not develop software products or operate as a revenue-generating business. Its revenue model is fundraising-driven: the organization funds operations through charitable contributions and grants consistent with its nonprofit status, and all legal services are provided pro bono to clients. Its governance is provided by a board of trustees with Alfred J. Lechner, Jr., a former federal judge, serving as President and CEO, and the institute is governed under the law of the District of Columbia.

Name

Cause of Action

Legal name

Cause of Action Institute

Website

https://causeofaction.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cause of Action Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization founded in 2011 that provides pro bono representation in FOIA, administrative law, and constitutional cases challenging federal regulatory overreach, primarily serving small businesses and policy advocacy clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cause of Action Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization that provides pro bono legal representation, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation, strategic impact litigation, amicus briefs, and investigative policy research. Its work targets government accountability, limits on administrative-state power, and defense of individuals and businesses against federal regulatory overreach.

Product overview

Cause of Action Institute is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization (501(c)(3)) that does not offer software products or technology services. The organization provides legal representation, policy advocacy, and investigative services focused on limiting government administrative overreach and promoting transparency and accountability. Their work encompasses litigation, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) advocacy, amicus briefs, and policy research across areas including constitutional law, regulatory reform, and consumer protection. They represent clients in cases involving federal agencies (FTC, NOAA, CFPB, DoD, etc.) and advocate for transparent government practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grading the Government: A project of Cause of Action Institute that evaluates the federal government's efficiency in response to Freedom of Information Act requests.

Products and services

• Pro Bono Legal Representation Pro bono legal representation provided to select clients in federal court cases, FOIA litigation, and administrative proceedings challenging federal agency actions. Clients include small businesses, industry groups, and nonprofit organizations facing regulatory overreach.
• FOIA Litigation and Transparency Investigations Freedom of Information Act requests and litigation targeting federal agencies (DOJ, Commerce, OMB, White House, EPA, others) to compel disclosure and accountability, including investigative reporting into agency record-keeping practices.
• Strategic Impact Litigation (Chevron / Administrative-State Cases) Precedent-setting litigation challenging unlawful federal regulations, including constitutional challenges to monitoring requirements, FTC enforcement actions, and agency rules imposed without congressional authorization. Notable case is the Loper Bright Enterprises herring fishermen litigation.
• Grading the Government Project of Cause of Action Institute that evaluates the federal government's efficiency in responding to Freedom of Information Act requests. Positions the organization as a transparency-scorekeeper on FOIA performance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved Supreme Court victory in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (June 2024), resulting in overruling of Chevron deference doctrine
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Judicial Watch: Conservative-leaning legal watchdog that pursues FOIA litigation and government-accountability investigations. Highly comparable to CoA Institute in mission, tactics, and donor base, and a frequent co-litigant on federal transparency cases.
• Pacific Legal Foundation: Public-interest law firm that litigates constitutional and limited-government cases, including property rights, due process, and administrative-law challenges. Closely comparable to CoA's regulatory and individual-liberty docket, with similar elite appellate credentials.
• Landmark Legal Foundation: Conservative public-interest law firm focused on government accountability, FOIA, and fighting agency overreach. Directly comparable niche and target issues to CoA Institute.
• Southeastern Legal Foundation: Public-interest law firm that litigates constitutional and administrative-law cases, including election integrity and federal agency challenges. Comparable mission and litigation strategy.
• Goldwater Institute: Libertarian-leaning public-interest law and policy organization that litigates against government overreach at state and federal levels. Overlaps with CoA on regulatory reform and economic-liberty themes.
• New Civil Liberties Alliance: Nonpartisan public-interest law firm that challenges administrative-state overreach through constitutional litigation. Directly comparable litigation model and target docket to CoA Institute.

Broad incumbents

• Cato Institute: Libertarian think tank that conducts policy research, files amicus briefs, and engages in litigation on administrative-law and constitutional issues. Broader portfolio than CoA but materially overlapping on regulatory reform.
• Heritage Foundation: Large conservative policy organization that funds legal advocacy and amicus work on limited-government and anti-regulatory issues. Comparable thematic positioning though a much broader portfolio than CoA.
• Competitive Enterprise Institute: Free-market policy organization that litigates and advocates against federal regulatory overreach. Similar anti-administrative-state orientation and donor overlap with CoA Institute.
• Americans for Prosperity Foundation: Policy and advocacy organization that funds litigation and grassroots campaigns on free-enterprise and limited-government issues. Co-litigated with CoA on FOIA matters (e.g., the "Gone in an Instant" report).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/causeofactiondc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cause-of-action
• Facebookfacebook.com/causeofaction

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cause of Action