Mountain States Legal Foundation

On Tuesday, March 17 MSLF Attorneys Grady Block and William Trachman stood beside Erick Holt at the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals for oral arguments in Holt v. Florrisant Fire Protection DIstrict. We owe it to all YOU, our supporters who stand with us in support of the fight for liberty!

This morning MSLF Attorney, James Kerwin went toe-to-toe at the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals for oral arguments in Di Piero v. Penn State University! Read the statement above to see how it went!

TOMORROW (3/18) MSLF Is heading to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals for oral arguments in Zack Di Piero v. Penn State University 👨‍⚖️ When Penn State tried to silence faculty member Zack Di Piero for speaking out, we took the fight to court, and we’re not done yet. On March 18th, MSLF is in Pennsylvania, PA to stand up for free speech on campus and hold the university accountable. Tune in at 7AM (MST) / 9 (EST) to listen live! LINK IN BIO 🔗

TODAY is the day! MSLF Is heading to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals for oral arguments in Holt v. Florissant Fire Protection District 🧯⚖️ Erik Holt served as Fire Chief of the Florissant Fire Protection District in Teller County, Colorado. In May 2023, following a local board election, Holt was contacted by investigators from the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office regarding security footage from a polling location housed at the fire station. Thirty-three days later, the District’s newly seated board voted to terminate Holt’s employment “for cause,” a designation Holt disputes as pretext for retaliation related to his cooperation in the investigation. The case centers on a key Constitutional question: whether a public employee may be disciplined for speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern. Link in bio to listen live!

Are we seeing the forest for the trees? 🌲🔍 We sit down with Travis Joseph, President and CEO of the American Forest Resource Council to unpack the laws and policies shaping the future of forests. We discuss: - The legacy of the Northwest Forest Plan - The legal mandate behind the Oregon and California Railroad and Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant Lands Act - The growing controversy over monument designations under the Antiquities Act, including the expansion of Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument - What Congress is considering now, from provisions in H.R. 1 to the proposed Fix Our Forests Act and broader efforts to reform federal permitting. If you care about wildfire, public lands, and the future of rural communities in the West, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. OUT NOW on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify 🎙️❗

Is Forestry a zero sum game?? 🌳🤔 Travis Joseph seems to disagree. On our latest episode of Beyond the Bench we highlight Forest and Land Management in the modern day with the President of the American Forestry Resource Council to discuss what mindsets, rules, and regulations he suggest need to change before we fall behind the curve! Full episode out Monday, March 16 at 9 AM on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Youtube 🎧

We are officially 1️⃣ week away from Oral Arguments in Zack Di Piero v. Penn State University ⚖️ When Penn State tried to silence faculty member Zack Di Piero for speaking out, we took the fight to court, and we’re not done yet. On March 18th, MSLF is in Pennsylvania, PA to stand up for free speech on campus and hold the university accountable. Live link coming soon!

We are officially ONE week away from Oral Arguments in Holt v. Florissant Protection District ⚖️ Erik Holt served as Fire Chief of the Florissant Fire Protection District in Teller County, Colorado. In May 2023, following a local board election, Holt was contacted by investigators from the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office regarding security footage from a polling location housed at the fire station. Thirty-three days later, the District’s newly seated board voted to terminate Holt’s employment “for cause,” a designation Holt disputes as pretext for retaliation related to his cooperation in the investigation. The case centers on a key Constitutional question: whether a public employee may be disciplined for speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern. Link to listen to oral arguments will be in our bio, stand with Erik and share your support!

Curious as to what February looked like at MSLF? Let us give you the full rundown 📋👇 Feb 3: William Trachman joined Beyond the Bench to talk about Equal Protection ⚖️ Feb 12: Court Blocks New Mexicos 🔫 Waiting Period Law in Ortega v. Grisham Feb 23: Professor John Yoo of UC Berkeley gave us the rundown on all things Climate & Litigation 🌡️ Feb 28: MSLF received the CSSA's Defender of the Constitution Award! 🇺🇸

Our 3rd oral argument THIS MONTH is scheduled for March 24th! MSLF is stepping up to defend these ranchers, challenge the government’s actions, and hold them accountable to the law. 🤝🧑‍⚖️ For generations, the waters of Baker and Lehman Creeks have flowed through Nevada’s Snake Valley, sustaining the land and the ranching families who call it home. Everything changed in 1986, when the federal government created Great Basin National Park. Armed only with junior water rights, the National Park Service (NPS) began diverting water for its own use, disrupting the natural flow of Baker and Lehman Creeks, and allowing practices that harmed downstream users. When the ranchers sought to enforce their rights in Nevada state court, the federal government moved the case to federal court, claiming immunity from state enforcement because they hadn’t participated in the original adjudication, a process they were notified about and chose to ignore. This is a wake-up call for every American who values justice, accountability, and property rights. Water isn’t just a resource, it’s life. And if the government can steal water today, what will they come for tomorrow?

Oral argument in Holt v. Florissant Fire Protection District be held on March 17, 2026 and MSLF is on the front line❗ Erik Holt served as Fire Chief of the Florissant Fire Protection District in Teller County, Colorado. In May 2023, following a local board election, Holt was contacted by investigators from the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office regarding security footage from a polling location housed at the fire station. Thirty-three days later, the District’s newly seated board voted to terminate Holt’s employment “for cause,” a designation Holt disputes as pretext for retaliation related to his cooperation in the investigation. The case centers on a key Constitutional question: whether a public employee may be disciplined for speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern. Link to listen to oral arguments will be in our bio, stand with Erik and share your support!

.@CSSA1926 is immensely grateful to our partners at the Mountain States Legal Foundation (@MSLF), who are representing us in our lawsuit against SB25-003’s permit-to-purchase mandate. We were proud to recognize their distinct and essential contributions to the fight with CSSA’s Defender of the Constitution Award at the Second Annual Shots for Freedom Range Event and Banquet this weekend!

What a weekend! We were thrilled to be a part of @CSSA1926 Second Annual Shots for Freedom event! An incredible event that brought together so many people in the Second Amendment community. MSLF and its Center to Keep & Bear Arms were proud to receive CSSA's Defender of the Constitution award. We are committed to continue fighting for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and we look forward to many future victories in our partnership with CSSA. #2026ShotsforFreedom #2A #secondannual #SecondAmendment

Who's in charge when it comes to energy and the environment? 👀 Professor John Yoo joined MSLF discussing who should REALLY decide how energy is used and who is responsible for the climate on the latest episode of Beyond the Bench! Season 2 Episode is OUT NOW! Who do you want to see next on Beyond the Bench?? 👇

Throwback Thursday reminds us: freedom isn’t an abstract idea, it’s lived in moments like these. 📸🎤 From ranchers and energy workers to families defending their land, these are the faces of people standing up to government overreach! At Mountain States Legal Foundation, we’re proud to fight for them, at no cost.

MSLF is heading to Court! 🏛️🗣️ On March 18th, MSLF is in Pennsylvania, PA to stand up for free speech on campus and hold the university accountable. When Penn State tried to silence faculty member Zack Di Piero for speaking out, we took the fight to court, and we’re not done yet. Link to listen LIVE coming soon! Do you think public universities should be able to punish students and faculty for speaking out?

Check out our latest episode of Beyond the Bench Season 2 with Professor John Yoo from the University of Berkley School of Law 🌎📰 Our latest episode discussing all things climate and litigation with THE leading expert in public law and constitutional issues is OUT NOW! Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

Hasta la Vista is right! (when it comes to Senate Bill 17) 😉😎 The Ortega decision in the 10th Circuit has “left a mark” on New Mexico state government. This has caused many in the legislature to finally take a step back from blindly supporting anti-Second Amendment legislation and start to question the viability of bills like SB17. It appears that one good thing has contributed to another!

"The EPA’s action restores the proper balance in the Constitution and reins in regulatory overreach that has burdened American energy producers, manufacturers, and consumers" ⚡⛓️ CAPE welcomes the EPA’s decision to roll back the 2009 “Endangerment Finding.” Ending this rule could save Americans an estimated $1.3 trillion and ease burdens on energy and manufacturing, while restoring Congress’s proper role in setting major climate and energy policy.

This Presidents Day, we honor the presidents who defended our Constitution and the freedoms it guarantees 📜 At Mountain States Legal Foundation, we carry that work forward in the courts, protecting individual liberty, upholding the rule of law, and keeping government power in check!