Finding Legal Counsel
In Part I, we list some of the most prominent public interest law firms providing representation or referrals for representation. While we describe the main focuses of these organizations, many of them may be able to take on clients outside their primary area of representation.
Trade and professional associations, and even unions, may also be able to provide guidance, support, or referrals for members or clients. In Part II, we list some associations that have proven particularly supportive of and/or involved in defending their members' speech, information, and fair use rights.
Part I: Public Interest Law Firms & Legal Referral Networks
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) (national)
- General First Amendment lobbying and litigation.
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Northern California Office (CA)
- General First Amendment lobbying and litigation.
- Berkman Center (Harvard Law School)
- Counseling and litigation on Internet speech and other issues.
- California Anti-SLAPP Project (CA)
- Counseling and representation to individuals and organizations being sued for free expression.
- California First Amendment Coalition
- Advice and representation on right-to-know issues.
- Cyberlaw Clinic (Stanford School of Law)
- Representation and counseling on a variety of cyberlaw issues, including John Doe (anonymous speech) concerns.
- DePaul Intellectual Property Clinic (DePaul School of Law) (Illinois)
- Chicago & Northern Illinois representations before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).
- Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
- Litigation on electronic civil liberties, including speech, privacy, and intellectual property.
- Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
- Litigation and lobbying on privacy, free speech, access & use of government information.
- First Amendment Project (CA)
- Advocacy and litigation on FOIA, Sunshine Act, open government requests, and anti-SLAPP issues.
- National Lawyers Guild, Center for Democratic Communications
- An association of lawyers across the country, providing litigation and counseling on speech and communications issues, particularly including media and telecommunications.
- Public Citizen
- Litigation and advocacy protecting Internet speakers. Public Citizen has particularly assisted consumers who have developed "sux" and consumer critique sites.
- Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic (UC Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law)
- Counseling and research on issues of privacy, speech, copyright, contracts and licensing.
- Samuelson-Glushko Intellectual Property Clinic (American University, Washington College of Law)
- Counseling and litigation on intellectual property matters, including copyright and patent.
- Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Network
- Directories of Artist Service Organizations by Region:
- starving artists
law.com
negativland's list
VLA NY Directory - Major Volunteer Lawyers Groups:
-
California Lawyers for the Arts
(CA)
Lawyers for the Creative Arts (Chicago, IL)
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts (MA)
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (NY)
Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts (DC, Maryland, Virginia)
Part II: Selected Professional Associations, Trade Groups, and Unions
- American Library Association
- The largest library organization, and a leader in fighting censorship, protecting privacy, and negotiating copyright issues. Other library and archive associations may also be helpful for their particular constituents.
- College Art Association
- Has developed informational resources, and filed amici, relating to art historians and practicing artists' rights to use intellectual property and fight censorship.
- Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
- First Amendment rights of the comics community.
- Media Law Resource Center
- (Formerly Libel Defense Resource Center.) Research and advocacy for the First Amendment rights of the media.
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press - Legal Defense Hotline
- Free legal assistance for journalists.
- Society of Professional Journalists Legal Defense Fund
- Legal or financial support for journalists facing legal problems.
- Student Press Law Center
- Advocacy, information, and legal assistance regarding student free-press rights.
