Litigation

The University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic successfully defended the right of four homeowners in Atlanta’s Lakewood Heights Historic District to speak on matters of public concern affecting development in their neighborhood. These neighbors, who include Heather Graybill, Paula Kupersmith, and Zachary Murray, were sued by Atlanta landlord Omar Ali for engaging in speech and petitioning that did not support his development interests. After the court dismissed multiple claims in response to the homeowners’ motion to strike the lawsuit as a Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suit, Ali voluntarily withdrew the rest of his lawsuit.

The University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic represents Avid Bookshop in challenging the constitutionality of the Gwinnett County Jail’s mail policy that bars physical bookstores from shipping books to jail residents.

The University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic is currently defending Mrs. Emma Jane Prospero’s right to proceed to trial on claims of First Amendment retaliation and malicious prosecution against officers in the Camden County Sheriff’s Office. Mrs. Prospero is a retired resident of Woodbine, Georgia who was criminally prosecuted for exercising her rights of free speech and petition when she called Camden County 911 to request help stopping gunshots near her home.

The University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic is litigating a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Morrow, Georgia for blocking Aaron Booterbaugh from the City’s Facebook Page after he posted comments critical of the City’s Mayor and City Manager.

The University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic and Community HeLP Clinic, together with co-counsel, represent fifteen women who allege medical abuse, neglect, and retaliation in violation of their First Amendment rights while detained in the custody of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Ocilla, Georgia.

Unconstitutional Ordinance Repealed – UGA First Amendment Clinic partners with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) to protect free speech rights.

The University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic and pro bono counsel from BakerHostetler won an important victory for press freedoms on behalf of an independent journalist who reports on the world of obstacle course racing (OCR).

The University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic and civil rights attorneys Gerald Weber and Leigh Finlayson secured a $105,000 settlement from the City of Atlanta on behalf of photojournalist Sharif Hassan who was arrested in Atlanta during the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment right to record the police.

The University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic secured agreement against online censorship in a settlement with Douglas County Commissioner Kelly G. Robinson who blocked county resident Brenda Bohanan from his interactive Facebook page after she criticized his response to constituent concerns.