Legal Features

The Rutherford Institute is committed to expertise in addressing issues of human rights and civil liberties. Legal Features contains an in-depth analysis of the legal issues which The Rutherford Institute is involved in everyday. Court briefings, case summaries, and legal analysis can provide a deeper understanding of the work which The Rutherford Institute takes on in order to protect and extend human rights and civil liberties throughout the country.

Recent Articles

August 06, 2026

Constitutional Q&A: The Right to Display First Amendment Messages on Private Property

The First Amendment protects more than the right to speak. It also protects the right to communicate through signs, symbols, flags, art and religious displays without government favoring some viewpoints and suppressing others. In this Constitutional Q&A, The Rutherford Institute explains the constitutional protections governing First Amendment displays on private property and offers general guidance for property owners, communities and public officials.

June 19, 2026

The Jury Box Is Shrinking—and So Are Your Constitutional Protections (Minor v. Florida)

At first glance, the difference between six jurors and twelve may sound like a technical legal issue. It is not. The jury system was designed to stand between the individual and the immense power of the government. When juries shrink, so does the public’s ability to serve as a check on prosecutors, judges, police, and the machinery of the state.

This feature looks at why the Founders understood the jury as a safeguard against tyranny, why twelve jurors matter, and how the erosion of jury rights fits into a broader pattern of diminishing constitutional protections.