Brown v. Legal Foundation of Washington

Brown v. Legal Foundation of Washington was a significant U.S. Supreme Court case decided in 2003. It addressed whether the government could take interest earned on client funds held in pooled accounts (IOLTA) to help fund legal services for low-income individuals. The Court ruled that this practice constituted a taking under the Fifth Amendment because it deprived lawyers and their clients of property without just compensation. The decision underscored the importance of property rights and clarified the limits of government actions in utilizing private funds for public benefit.