
The First Amendment Clinic
The Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic’s dual mission is to teach students important aspects of the First Amendment and to vigorously defend its clients’ First Amendment rights. Through coursework and cutting edge First Amendment litigation and advocacy, students gain theoretical and practical skills while achieving the best possible outcomes for its clients. The Clinic houses the Local Journalism Project, an innovative initiative that provides focus to the Clinic’s work on behalf of local and community news outlets and journalists.
“Helping great journalists gain access and information to enable them to report on issues of vital concern to their readers is at the heart of our mission.” ~Mark Jackson, Director of the First Amendment Clinic
Recent News
Clinic Client Publishes Op-Ed on Need for Transparency in Uvalde Shooting Investigation
June 3, 2022 - Freelancer Michelle Garcia published a powerful op-ed in The Daily Beast on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, regarding the need for transparency in the investigation into the Uvalde school shooting. The op-ed highlights the public records access work that the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic and the SMU Dedman School of Law First Amendment Clinic have […]