First Amendment Clinic (YR)

The clinic will be administered by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a Washington, D.C.-based national non-profit that provides pro bono legal services to journalists and news organizations. The clinic will represent the continuing legacy of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression and its founding director, UVA law professor and sixth president Bob O’Neil. Working closely with RCFP attorneys, students will acquire extensive hands-on experience in direct litigation, client counseling, amicus brief writing, and policy advocacy in a range of matters related to press freedom and the First Amendment. The clinic will continue to represent both journalists and private citizens in a variety of core First Amendment cases, which have included defamation matters and public information access rights. Seminar discussions will often focus on emerging issues in the field, such as the impact of technology on confidential source protections, international online content regulation, or how hacking laws impact data journalists. Students will be expected to attend a weekly class, which will include substantive instruction in First Amendment law as well as case discussion and clinical supervision. Students will also be expected to attend a two-day “boot camp” over a weekend early in the year, which will provide a survey of First Amendment law to allow students to immediately start work on clinical matters. Guest speakers from civil society, government, and the media will frequently present to the clinic, and students will be invited to visit RCFP’s offices in Washington to observe and participate in RCFP’s work.