Pictured left to right: Christina Lee, Ellie Wilson-Wade, Samantha Bedore, Ben Privitera, Clare Norins, and Grace Lane
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.
Client Advocacy
- Conducted pre-publication review for five news and media outlets.
- Successfully challenged school district’s overly broad trespass order that prevented parent from attending public events.
- Helped concerned citizen draft public record requests to sheriff.
- Advised journalist in successfully negotiating reduced costs for public records production.
- Opposed content-based speech restrictions in city code on behalf of a former city official.
- Responded to cease-and-desist letter concerning private non-profit organization’s choice of vendors at their annual event.
- Advised high school journalist on distributing underground student paper.
Panels & Presentations
- Ellie Wilson-Wade (pictured), Christina Lee, and Ward Evans presented at the Georgia Scholastic Press Association’s Spring 2025 workshop on news gathering at protests.
- Clare Norins presented “Supreme Court Updates on Civil Rights & First Amendment Law” at the Georgia State Bar’s annual conference on Litigation Under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983.
- Samantha Bedore and Norins presented “Open Records & Meetings: Essentials for Public Officials” to the Braselton Police Department.
- Ward Evans presented media law training to news room staff at the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Expressive Freedoms
- Adoris Gibbs (pictured) published “Library workers deserve protection, not prosecution“and “Art is not a confession“ in Georgia Recorder.
- Harsh Patel published “Georgia’s ‘anti-doxxing’ legislation upsets the balance between free speech and privacy,” also in Georgia Recorder.
The Issue
Free Speech
The First Amendment protects the right of private individuals to engage in speech and expression without being censored or punished by the government because of their viewpoint. While the government may constitutionally regulate the time, place, and manner of private speech in public forums it must do so in a viewpoint-neutral manner and, depending on…
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The Issue
Media Law
The First Amendment guarantees a free press, meaning journalists are able to express any opinions they want about the government, even criticisms. However, journalists are often hindered in their ability to gather and publish news through the threat of lawsuits, subpoenas, and criminal prosecution. Read more about our support for student and professional journalists here.
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The Issue
Student First Amendment Rights
The First Amendment protects students and student journalists from censorship and retaliation in public schools and universities. As the Supreme Court has explained, students do not “shed their constitutional right to freedom of speech at the schoolhouse gate.” Read more about our work on behalf of students and student journalists here.
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The Issue
Government Transparency
Georgia’s legislature finds that transparent government is essential to a free, open, and democratic society. The state’s “sunshine laws” guarantee access to the public records and public meetings of local and state government agencies. The First Amendment and Georgia’s uniform superior court rules also protect the public’s right to observe court proceedings and review court…
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