Group Litigation
Land Rights
Land disputes rarely begin in a courtroom. They begin with a notice, a permit, an offer, or an order, and the record built in those early stages often decides everything that follows.
The firm stands with landowners, farmers, and communities against takings, siting decisions, and regulatory overreach, from county boards and administrative hearings through state and federal court.
The published record
Active matters
- No Columbia WindStanding with local landowners on a proposed wind project's impacts on property values, health, and safety, from local government proceedings to litigation if needed.Project details at ISueGov
- Save Farm OccupationLitigation aimed at establishing a fundamental right to pursue the occupation of farming.Project details at ISueGov
- Veterans camping litigationLitigation to stop a Minnesota county from using zoning and environmental laws against a nonprofit that provides camping therapy for disabled veterans.Project details at ISueGov
- Lake Pepin ReservationA federal trust case on behalf of Sioux Half-Breed lineal descendants of the Lake Pepin Reservation, now on appeal to the Federal Circuit.Project details at ISueGov
- Roseau aircraft seizureLitigation to recover a pilot's aircraft seized after an emergency landing on tribal land, challenging the asserted authority over airspace and the seizure.Project details at ISueGov
Active matters are pending. No result is stated or implied for any pending matter. Linked project pages at ISueGov publish each matter's public details and status.
Common questions
The government wants to take or restrict my land. Where do I start?
Start with the paper: the notice, order, permit, or offer you received, and its dates. Takings, siting decisions, and use restrictions each follow their own process, and early deadlines to object or appeal are easy to miss.
Do these fights happen in court?
Many start at a county board, a zoning authority, or an administrative hearing, and only later reach a courtroom. What happens at those early stages often shapes what is possible on appeal, which is why early counsel matters.
Can a community organize against a siting or development decision?
Yes. Neighbors, farmers, and local organizations can participate in hearings, build the record, and, where the law allows, litigate together. The group litigation model applies to land fights the same way it applies to election matters.
What limits a state's power to regulate beyond its borders?
The Commerce Clause, among other doctrines. In Styczinski v. Arnold, the Eighth Circuit held Minnesota's bullion regulation unconstitutional insofar as it reached wholly out-of-state transactions.
What land matters is the firm involved in now?
Active work includes the No Columbia Wind matter, the Save Farm Occupation effort, veterans camping litigation, and the Lake Pepin Reservation matter, alongside the published record in the Case Library.
These answers are general information, not legal advice, and reading them does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines vary by claim and state.
Bring your matter to the firm
Tell us who is affected, what happened, and when. We route your matter to the right lawyer, with a conflict check before anything substantive is discussed.