We are a National Authority in Property Rights, Constitutional Law & Appellate Litigation

Nationally recognized trial attorneys specializing in property rights, IRS disputes, appellate litigation and more.

The National Authority In

Eminent Domain Litigation

If the government takes private property the Constitution requires the government to pay the landowner “just compensation” for that property the government took form the landowner. The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution says, “No person shall…be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

Every state constitution contains a similar provision protecting an owner’s right to their private property. Depending upon the circumstances of your case, you may also be entitled to be paid additional compensation for what the government took and the expenses you may have incurred in defending your right to be compensated. The federal Uniform Relocation Act, 42 U.S.C. § 4601, et seq., requires the federal government (or a state government using federal funds or acting under federal authority) to pay your legal fees and litigation expenses. The text of the Uniform Relocation Act is available here.

– Breaking News –

True North Law Files U.S. Supreme Court Amicus Brief on behalf of Former Attorney General John Ashcroft in Trump Immunity Case

Attorney General Ashcroft and the Constitutional Coalition Filed the Brief to Warn Against the Weaponization of the Justice Department

Thor Hearne and True North Law represented former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft in filing an amicus curiae (or “friend of the court”) brief in the pending U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity case, Trump v. United States. The brief can be viewed here.

The ramifications of this case – deciding whether the President can be criminally prosecuted for official acts performed as President – will be as significant as Chief Justice John Marshall’s decision in Marbury v. Madison. As this brief points out, “for the administration of the sitting President to criminally prosecute his predecessor and current political opponent presents constitutional concerns of the gravest magnitude. … The threat of after-the-fact criminal prosecution for official acts during a President’s tenure in office impairs the President’s ability to make those crucial and often controversial decisions the President is required to make as Chief Executive and Commander-in-Chief.”

The Supreme Court ruled in 1982 in Nixon v. Fitzgerald that the President enjoys immunity from civil suits for his official acts as President. In Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court should similarly hold that the President cannot be subjected to criminal prosecution for his or her official acts as President, unless, as the Impeachment Clause of Article I of the Constitution provides, the President is first impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate.

John D. Ashcroft is the former Attorney General of the United States, serving in that position from 2001 to 2005. He also formerly served as Missouri’s Attorney General, Missouri’s Governor, and as a U.S. Senator. The Constitutional Coalition is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting an awareness of and appreciation for the United States Constitution and the principles upon which the United States was founded.

Sarasota Landowners Represented by True North Law File Final Comprehensive Summary Judgment Brief

True North Law files additional brief supporting the landowners’ summary judgment motion arguing 214 landowners must be paid compensation

Two hundred fourteen Sarasota, Florida, landowners represented by True North Law filed their concluding brief in 4023 Sawyer Road I LLC, et al. v. United States in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims supporting their pending motion for summary judgment. The landowners took advantage of the recent decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Barlow v. United States, where the court of appeals ruled that Illinois landowners were entitled to compensation because the original deeds between the owners’ predecessors-in-title to the railroad conveyed only an easement to the railroad for operation of railway. In Barlow, the Federal Circuit considered many of the same types of deeds at issue in 4023 Sawyer Road and the related case of Barron v. United States. Although Barlow involved Illinois law, Florida law tracks Illinois law on these points.

The landowners motion for summary judgment is available here, and the government’s cross-motion for summary judgment is available here. The landowners’ concluding brief is available here. The landowners in Barron also filed a notice with the court, advising the court that the Federal Circuit’s decision in Barlow also supports the Barron landowners’ pending motion for summary judgment. The Barron notice of supplemental authority is available here

About Us

True North Law Group

True North Law Group is a Thor Hearne law firm, making us an authority in property rights and appellate litigation.

We have spent the last 30 years ardently fighting for the rights of our clients in a variety of constitutional and appellate law cases, including pioneering rails-to-trails compensation law and winning more cases on behalf of landowners than any other firm.

Your constitutional rights should never be infringed – particularly by the government – and we have devoted our practice to protecting and defending citizens through dedicated trial advocacy.

Meet True North

Owner's Council Profile

A Primer On The Federal Trails Act

Practice Areas

Expertise

Property Rights

& Eminent Domain

Protecting your 5th Amendment rights so that you receive just compensation for your property.

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Constitutional

Law & Voting Rights

Ensuring laws comply with the constitutions at the state and federal level, including fair elections and voting rights.

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Complex

Commercial Litigation

Advocating for businesses in complex property valuation, patent disputes, eminent domain lawsuits & more.

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Appellate Litigation

Federal & State Courts

Professional appellate litigation attorneys at all levels, including US circuit courts, state Supreme Courts and the US Supreme Court.

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Tax Court Litigation

Conservation Easements

Representing clients in tax courts for IRS disputes in land valuation, conservation easements, retirement benefits & more.

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Trial Advocacy
Professionals

Federal & State Courts

Experienced trial attorneys representing clients in a range of technical areas of law, including property rights, patents & more.

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Testimonials

Success Stories

“Mr. Hearne,

We appreciate your work in representing the homeowners along the Legacy Trail in Mission Valley, Nokomis, FL. The case was Rogers v. U.S. Over a decade-long fight your firm held fast and was successful. Thanks!”