The Clinic, along with co-counsel at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, successfully represented a coalition of some of the largest media entities in Pennsylvania in a matter seeking to unseal court documents. The coalition--which included The Philadelphia Inquirer, LNP Media, and Spotlight PA--intervened in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecution of Leslie Acosta, a former state representative, and requested that the court unseal the documents. As a result, over twenty previously-sealed court documents shedding light on the federal prosecution have been made public. These documents included notices, motions, orders, and sentencing documents. They detail, among other things, Acosta's cooperation in the prosecutions of her co-conspirators.

The Clinic argued that the First Amendment and common law rights of access entitled the public to the documents. Attorneys for the government and Acosta largely did not oppose the motion. Clinic student Hayden Rutledge, worked on the case for three semesters, said of his experience: “I am delighted that I was able to see this case through and secure a win for our clients and the people of Pennsylvania. Writing a motion filed in federal court is a notable experience for a law student, and I am grateful that the Clinic and our co-counsel gave me the opportunity to assist on such an important matter.”

You can read more about the case in this Cornell Chronicle article.

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