New Civil Liberties Alliance

The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public interest law firm founded in 2017 by Columbia Law School professor Philip Hamburger. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., its core mission is to protect constitutional liberties from what it identifies as systemic threats posed by the administrative state. The NCLA aims to advance freedom of speech, trial by jury, and due process, opposing the administrative usurpation of legislative and judicial powers.

NCLA's services primarily involve public-interest litigation and pro bono advocacy. The organization files original lawsuits and amicus curiae briefs in state and federal courts to challenge actions by federal agencies that it deems unlawful or unconstitutional. Its focus areas include administrative controls on free speech, agencies operating beyond their statutory authority (nondelegation), judicial deference to administrative agencies (such as Chevron deference), due process violations in administrative adjudications, and unlawful administrative searches.

Recent notable activities include the NCLA's comments urging the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to dismantle its Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), arguing it violates Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights by collecting personal financial data without due process. The organization also represented Judge Pauline Newman in a case challenging her suspension, advocating for judicial independence and due process. Led by founder and CEO Philip Hamburger and President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth, NCLA has emerged as a significant player in challenging government agency power, notably contributing to the overturning of Chevron deference in the 2024 Supreme Court decision Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo.