Digital Journalist's Legal Guide

Everything online journalists need to protect their legal rights. This free resource culls from all Reporters Committee resources and includes exclusive content on digital media law issues.

Briefs & Comments

A summary of media-related decisions by Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor

May 27, 2009

Judge Sonia Sotomayor has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit for more than 10 years, and before that as a district judge in New York City for six years. With all that federal judicial experience behind her — reportedly more than any Supreme Court nominee in a century — it is surprising to see that no clear standard on First Amendment issues has emerged from her many cases.
Amicus brief in Rangra v. Abbott

May 14, 2009

Urging the 5th Cir. to review a panel decision holding that provisions of the Texas open meetings law restricting officials' communications must be subject to strict scrutiny.
Testimony to the Legislature of the State of Maine

April 29, 2009

Arguing against legislation that would halt public access to the salaries allocated to government positions.
Amicus brief in Associated Press v. Canterbury

April 28, 2009

Urging the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals to allow access to the e-mail messages of a former Supreme Court Justice under the state's open records law.
Comments to the Federal Aviation Administration

April 17, 2009

Arguing against a proposal to shield from public view the National Wildlife Strike Database.
Comments to the National Archives

April 17, 2009

Commenting on the management of the presidential libraries, particularly on the processing of FOIA requests by the libraries.
Amicus brief in In re NHC-Nashville Fire Litigation

March 23, 2009

Urging the Tennessee Supreme Court to find a presumptive right of access to discovery materials filed with motions in court.
Amicus brief in Citizens United v. FEC

January 15, 2009

Urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that campaign finance rules may not be used to suppress political documentaries without abridging press freedom.
Amicus brief in Nebraska v. Kinyoun

January 8, 2009

Urging the Nebraska Supreme Court to release burial records of people buried on the grounds of a state mental hospital.
Amicus brief in Amnesty Int'l v. McConnell

December 19, 2008

Urging the U.S. District Court in New York City to declare that the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 violates the First Amendment rights of journalists to gather news.
Amicus brief in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel v. Wisconsin Dep't of Admin.

December 1, 2008

Urging the Wisconsin Supreme Court to release the names of public employees under the state open records law.
Amicus brief in Doe v. C.A.R.S.

October 14, 2008

Urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a federal case in Pennsylvania in which the existence of the case was completely secret, and the media was denied the right to intervene to argue for access.
Protest letter to Sheriff Fletcher

September 5, 2008

Objecting to citations given to journalists covering convention protests in St. Paul.
Amicus brief in National Institute of Military Justice v. Dep't of Defense

August 29, 2008

Urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case over access to documents related to the creation of military commissions.
Independent Newspapers Inc. v. Brodie amicus brief

July 28, 2008

Urging the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to recognize the importance of creating a highly protective standard before allowing litigants to unmask anonymous speakers on Web sites.

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Briefs & Comments

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