Clinic News
“Our free speech work necessarily spans the political spectrum — from fighting against book bans that seek to tell libraries what can be on their shelves to fighting against schools that seek to silence students seeking to promote conservative causes. For the First Amendment to mean anything it has to be applied vigorously on behalf of all of us.” – Clinic Director Mark H. Jackson
Did Delaware County Punish Its Local Paper for Critical Coverage? A Jury Will Decide
August 4, 2026 - A federal judge has ruled that a jury must decide whether Delaware County officials retaliated against a local newspaper for its critical coverage, sending the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic’s case on behalf of The Reporter to trial and leaving punitive damages on the table. In her July 21 ruling, Hon. Anne M. Nardacci […]
ICE refuses to release any info on its workforce
August 4, 2026 - Click the link below to read J. Dale Schoemaker’s Investigative Post article that quotes Associate Director Heather Murray and Local Journalism Fellow Kyle Clauss. ICE refuses to say who works for them in Buffalo, upstate NY : Investigative Post
Tenth Circuit Finds Oklahoma Riot Statute Requires Proof of Intent to Threaten
August 3, 2026 - OKLAHOMA CITY – This week, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that the Oklahoma Riot Statute’s definition of a “riot” is neither vague nor overbroad in violation of the United States Constitution, due in large part to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals’ recognition of an intent element of “willfulness”. In May of 2020, a […]
Ligonier Township supervisors discuss Bulletin letter about Sunshine Act concerns
August 3, 2026 - Clinic’s Local Journalism Attorney Adam Tragone’s letter raising concerns about Ligonier Township’s practice of holding committee and subcommittee meetings in private is detailed in this July 31, 2026, Latrobe Bulletin article: Ligonier Township supervisors discuss Bulletin letter about Sunshine Act concerns | News | latrobebulletinnews.com.
Win in Rockland County FOIL Case Underscores Clinic’s Role as ‘Indispensable’ Defender of the Press
July 17, 2026 - The Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic scored an important win last week on behalf of its client Rockland County Business Journal. On July 9, the New York Supreme Court granted the Business Journal’s Freedom of Information Petition for the release of documents related to the county’s award of an $18 million contract for the construction of […]
Clinic Sues Gov. Hochul’s Office Over Delayed, Sanitized Release of Governor’s Schedules
July 8, 2026 - The Cornell First Amendment Clinic represents journalist Chris Bragg and nonprofit news outlet New York Focus in a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) case seeking New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s schedule and calendars, which the Clinic filed in Albany County Supreme Court on June 30, 2026. The FOIL requests seek the governor’s daily schedules from […]
How Cornell is educating the next generation of citizens about democracy
June 30, 2026 - The Cornell First Amendment Clinic is featured in a Cornell Chronicle article written by Susan Kelley, “How Cornell is educating the next generation of citizens about democracy.” Read the full article here.
Local Journalism in the Age of Trump: A First Amendment Conversation
June 29, 2026 - Clinic director Mark H. Jackson and Heather Murray, associate director of the Clinic and the managing attorney of its Local Journalism Project, led a discussion about their efforts to protect, defend and enable a free and vibrant press on June 24 at the Tompkins County Library in Ithaca, New York. The event was the second […]
How is Local Journalism Doing? Insights from Attorneys and Clients of Cornell’s Local Journalism Project
June 29, 2026 - New York City’s media landscape is changing fast. As legacy outlets shrink and independent, nonprofit newsrooms step in to fill the gaps, a host of unsettled legal questions are coming to the fore — about press freedom, protecting sources, newsgathering rights, and even who counts as a journalist in the first place. Attorneys and clients […]
EDITORIAL: FOIL request sends message to state about transparency
June 22, 2026 - Have you ever sent someone a text message to find out if they’re getting our text messages? Sometimes you send the “test” to find out if there’s something wrong with their text messaging. Other times, you do it to send that person a message that they’re not returning your texts. If you understand that scenario, […]