The Press Freedom Project is a practice within the Intellectual Property, Arts, & Technology (IPAT) Clinic, focused on representing independent journalists and open government groups. Projects include working on civil rights lawsuits challenging the wrongful arrests of independent journalists and litigation seeking disclosure of government and court records about prisoner deaths, police brutality body camera footage, search warrant documents, and more. Students handle court hearings, draft complaints and motions, and communicate with clients, opposing counsel, and the public. Students are supervised by Adjunct Professor Susan E. Seager, a former journalist and veteran media defense litigator.
While the IPAT Clinic has already been working on press freedom projects over the past couple years, and will continue to do so, for Spring 2023 only, students will be able to be assigned in advance to a dedicated team working on these matters. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in journalism and the media; the First Amendment; police accountability; or developing litigation skills. Students assigned to this practice will be part of the IPAT Clinic, will attend the bulk of the seminar with the rest of the IPAT Clinic students, and will be exposed to a range of IP and technology issues.
You can read more about the Press Freedom Project at https://ipat.law.uci.edu/press-freedom-and-transparency and at the following links: Access & Transparency, First Amendment, Journalism