Clinical Associate Professor & First Amendment Clinic Director Clare R. Norins twice featured in The Wall Street Journal.
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Norins speaks to Wall Street Journal
Spring 2025: Advocacy, Trainings & More
In addition to federal and state court litigation, Clinic members were busy in Spring 2025 advocating for clients, delivering presentations and trainings, and speaking in defense of expressive freedoms.
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Avid v. Taylor – Protecting local bookshop’s First Amendment right to communicate with jail residents
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.
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Clinic litigates social media blocking case against City of Morrow
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.
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Prospero v. Sullivan – Defending citizen’s right to petition
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.
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Clinic fellow Christina Lee weighs in on defamation drama
Legal Fellow Christina Lee recently published an article and was interviewed for a podcast, both on SLANDERTOWN.com, about actor Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuits against his co-star Blake Lively and the New York Times. Lee was also a guest panelist for the Media Law Resource Center’s February 18, 2025 Zoom discussion about the litigation.
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Norins moderates panel at AALS annual meeting
Clinic director Clare R. Norins moderated a panel discussion on “Identifying and Addressing Current Threats to Journalism” at the Association of American Law Schools 2025 Annual Meeting.
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Successful defense of community residents’ right to speak on matters of public concern
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.
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Norins & Bailey publish in Washington & Lee Law Review Online
First Amendment Clinic director Clare R. Norins and clinic alum Mark L. Bailey (JD ’22) critique the Supreme Court’s new state action test in Stitch Incoming: Lindke v. Freed’s Impact on Social-Media-Blocking Litigation, 82 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. Online 172 (2024).
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Fall 2024 Clinic Presentations
During the Fall 2024 semester, the First Amendment Clinic presented trainings on election safety for journalists, student press freedoms, Georgia’s sunshine laws, and First Amendment auditors’ right to record.
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Open records and open meetings in Georgia
Georgia’s Open Records Act and Open Meetings Act respectively codify the presumption that public records should be made available for public inspection without delay and that government agencies must hold the meetings of their governing bodies open for public observation.
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Pre-publication review guide: a media law resource for journalists and attorneys
Pre-publication review (also known as “pre-pub” or “vetting”) is the process of reviewing news articles, scripts, and footage prior to publication to identify and address or mitigate legal concerns.
Keep Reading
Norins speaks to Wall Street Journal
Clinical Associate Professor & First Amendment Clinic Director Clare R. Norins twice featured in The Wall Street Journal.
Keep Reading
Spring 2025: Advocacy, Trainings & More
In addition to federal and state court litigation, Clinic members were busy in Spring 2025 advocating for clients, delivering presentations and trainings, and speaking in defense of expressive freedoms.
Keep Reading
Avid v. Taylor – Protecting local bookshop’s First Amendment right to communicate with jail residents
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.
Keep Reading
Clinic litigates social media blocking case against City of Morrow
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.
Keep Reading
Prospero v. Sullivan – Defending citizen’s right to petition
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.
Keep Reading
Clinic fellow Christina Lee weighs in on defamation drama
Legal Fellow Christina Lee recently published an article and was interviewed for a podcast, both on SLANDERTOWN.com, about actor Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuits against his co-star Blake Lively and the New York Times. Lee was also a guest panelist for the Media Law Resource Center’s February 18, 2025 Zoom discussion about the litigation.
Keep Reading
Norins moderates panel at AALS annual meeting
Clinic director Clare R. Norins moderated a panel discussion on “Identifying and Addressing Current Threats to Journalism” at the Association of American Law Schools 2025 Annual Meeting.
Keep Reading
Successful defense of community residents’ right to speak on matters of public concern
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.
Keep Reading
Norins & Bailey publish in Washington & Lee Law Review Online
First Amendment Clinic director Clare R. Norins and clinic alum Mark L. Bailey (JD ’22) critique the Supreme Court’s new state action test in Stitch Incoming: Lindke v. Freed’s Impact on Social-Media-Blocking Litigation, 82 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. Online 172 (2024).
Keep Reading
Fall 2024 Clinic Presentations
During the Fall 2024 semester, the First Amendment Clinic presented trainings on election safety for journalists, student press freedoms, Georgia’s sunshine laws, and First Amendment auditors’ right to record.
Keep Reading
Open records and open meetings in Georgia
Georgia’s Open Records Act and Open Meetings Act respectively codify the presumption that public records should be made available for public inspection without delay and that government agencies must hold the meetings of their governing bodies open for public observation.
Keep Reading
Pre-publication review guide: a media law resource for journalists and attorneys
Pre-publication review (also known as “pre-pub” or “vetting”) is the process of reviewing news articles, scripts, and footage prior to publication to identify and address or mitigate legal concerns.
Keep Reading