Michigan

The Local Legal Initiative provides local news organizations with direct legal services to pursue enterprise and investigative stories in their communities. If you’re a journalist that needs legal assistance, contact the Reporters Committee through our free Legal Hotline.

Later in 2026, the Local Legal Initiative will hire an in-state attorney in Michigan to advise and represent news outlets and journalists in matters involving access to judicial proceedings, freedom of information, and other First Amendment and newsgathering issues.

Outside of litigation, the attorney will also help journalists navigate legal issues through the Reporters Committee’s free Legal Hotline and vet local news outlets’ investigative stories before publication to reduce legal risk.

Learn more about the Local Legal Initiative and its impact in other states.