Grayson Clary

RCFP expands free legal support to local newsrooms in Gulf states and upper Midwest Expansion nearly doubles the Local Legal Initiative, building on six years of success supporting local journalism

🎉 Big news for local news: @rcfp.org is expanding our Local Legal Initiative to Louisiana, Mississippi, Michigan, and Minnesota!

This nearly doubles the size of the LLI, adding four in-state attorneys who will provide legal help to journalists pursuing ambitious stories in their communities.

RCFP statement on FBI search of Washington Post reporter’s home “[T]his is a tremendous escalation in the administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press,” said RCFP President Bruce D. Brown.

This morning, the FBI executed a search warrant at a @washingtonpost.com reporter’s home.

@rcfp.org President Bruce D. Brown called it “a tremendous escalation in the administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press.”

Read his full statement: www.rcfp.org/fbi-search-w...

‼️ We're expanding @rcfp.org's Local Legal Initiative to Louisiana and Mississippi — and hiring two in-state attorneys to provide local journalists and newsrooms free legal help to pursue impactful reporting in their communities.

Check out the opportunities below 👇

Media coalition urges federal appeals court to restore AP’s access to White House press pool The White House’s expulsion of The Associated Press violated the First Amendment, RCFP argues in a friend-of-the-court brief.

@rcfp.org and the White House Correspondents' Association, joined by 46 news and media organizations, are urging a federal appeals court to restore @apnews.com’s access to the White House press pool.

@rcfp.org is pushing back against a new Trump administration policy that threatens to revoke press passes from journalists covering the Pentagon if they attempt to report info that officials haven’t pre-approved for release.

Read more: https://www.rcfp.org/pentagon-press-restrictions-statement/

Staff Attorney Company Description: Established in 1970, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provides pro bono legal representation, amicus curiae support, and other legal resources to protect First Amendment freedoms and the newsgathering rights of journalists. RCFP serves news organizations, reporters, editors, documentary filmmakers, media lawyers, and many more who use its online resources. Job Description: The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (Reporters Committee) is hiring a staff attorney to expand the Reporters Committee’s ability to rapidly respond to legal threats to press freedom and to ensure that journalists across the country have easy access to the pro bono legal resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. The Staff Attorney will have the opportunity to provide direct legal services alongside other Reporters Committee attorneys, including by representing the Reporters Committee, news organizations, and individual journalists in impact and defense litigation involving newsgathering and First Amendment rights.  The Staff Attorney also will contribute to the Reporters Committee’s amicus and pre-publication/vetting practices and will facilitate and conduct trainings for journalists and news organizations. This full-time position reports to the Director of National Litigation.The Reporters Committee is based in Washington, D.C.  Applicants based in the Washington, D.C.-metropolitan area are strongly preferred but stellar remote applicants will be considered.  Starting salary, based on experience, will range from $118,600 - $134,700. The deadline to apply is October 15, 2025.Key Responsibilities Include:* Representing journalists and news organizations in litigation and other matters involving access to judicial records/proceedings, freedom of information, and other newsgathering and First Amendment matters; this includes, among other things: intake/case selection and other strategy decisions; drafting correspondence, administrative appeals, pleadings, briefs, and other filings in trial and appellate courts; negotiating with opposing counsel; and appearing on behalf of clients in state and federal court; * Drafting amicus briefs and—depending on the seniority level and experience of the attorney—supervising the work of more junior RCFP attorneys on amicus briefs in cases presenting important newsgathering and First Amendment issues; * Educating journalists about First Amendment and newsgathering rights, including by conducting trainings for journalists and news organizations on media law topics; * Counseling journalists, including documentary filmmakers, on legal issues related to newsgathering, access to information, libel, and privacy in connection with the Reporters Committee’s pre-publication partnerships. Qualifications: Requirements * Admitted to practice law in Washington, D.C. or eligible for admission to practice law in Washington, D.C.; * A minimum of four years of experience litigating cases in state and federal court, preferably with meaningful, substantive experience in access to judicial records/proceedings, libel/defamation, and other media law matters;  * Outstanding legal research skills, and excellent written and oral communication skills;   * Strong leadership skills with the ability to supervise and guide Reporters Committee legal fellows and legal interns;   * Sound judgment and the highest level of professional integrity; * A passion for protecting press freedom and a strong desire to support the work of journalists across the country. Additional Information: Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and operate computer equipment. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.Compensation: RCFP is committed to offering competitive pay and generous benefits, including group medical insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, retirement benefits, health-reimbursement accounts, and paid family leave. The salary range for this position is $118,600 to $134,700.How to apply: Submit a resume and cover letter. NOTE: Please submit materials in one PDF file. Only complete applications will advance in the hiring process. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. RCFP Is an Equal Opportunity Employer. At the Reporters Committee, we celebrate the diversity of our employees and our leadership. RCFP is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. 

🚨 Awesome job alert 🚨

RCFP is hiring a new staff attorney for our national practice! Litigate press freedom cases. Work with dedicated and amazing colleagues. Groan as I talk about octopuses again.

Apply by October 15:

jobs.smartrecruiters.com/ReportersCom... #law #appellate

7th Circuit: Indiana’s police ‘buffer zone’ law is unconstitutional The ruling is the latest victory RCFP attorneys have won on behalf of news outlets challenging the constitutionality of police buffer zone laws.

NEW: A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down Indiana’s police “buffer zone” law as unconstitutional, siding with arguments @rcfp.org attorneys made in a lawsuit on behalf of a news media coalition.

Congress's decision to claw back federal funding from America's public media broadcasters is a devastating blow to communities across the country.

@rcfp.org's full statement:

Work with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Check out the full-time jobs, fellowships and internships available at the Reporters Committee.

🚨 We're hiring a new legal fellow! The Abrams Legal Fellowship is an exciting opportunity for an early-career lawyer to provide hands-on legal assistance for documentary films.

Apply by July 30:

President Trump signs order seeking to end federal funding for NPR and PBS | CNN Business President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to end federal funding for America’s two biggest public broadcasters, which have faced a ser...

President Trump's attempt to end federal funding for NPR and PBS is blatant retaliation against America's primary public broadcasters over coverage the administration simply doesn’t like. [via @cnn.com]

Legal Organizations Across Ideologies File Amicus Brief Urging Court to Enjoin Executive Order Targeting Perkins Coie | American Civil Liberties Union The order targets Perkins Coie for its past voting rights litigation

RCFP joined a friend-of-the-court brief led by @aclu.org urging a court to block President Trump's executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie for its work on voting rights, arguing that it violates the First Amendment and could hinder newsgathering.

Federal court blocks enforcement of Louisiana’s police ‘buffer zone’ law Media coalitions represented by RCFP attorneys have now successfully challenged police “buffer zone” laws in Louisiana and Indiana.

After a media-coalition lawsuit led by attorneys from RCFP and Sternberg Naccari & White LLC, a federal court blocked Louisiana from enforcing a state law that interferes with journalists’ right to gather news and report on law enforcement activity, finding it unconstitutional.

Meta Platforms, Inc. v. District of Columbia Meta Platforms, Inc. v. District of Columbia

Which is how, for instance, you get the D.C. Court of Appeals suggesting that you could investigate a newspaper for consumer fraud for not living up to its standards (!) in order to greenlight an investigation of Meta for not taking down enough vaccine misinformation law.justia.com/cases/distri...

Very glad to see the dynamic getting thoughtful attention — @reporterscommittee.bsky.social has filed a number of briefs flagging the danger. One wrinkle I would add: I think folks were slow to wake up to this risk because left-leaning groups wanted to be able to sue platforms on similar theories

A thing I don’t understand is why DOJ chose to take (to be reductive) such a speech-protective position in Moody only to turn around and take positions here that even the justices in the minority in Moody seem to think are too aggressive

Probably the boring answer is “sometimes but not as often”

True, though they’ve likewise been sharpening tools for non-federal/non-agency contexts, like the post-Cedar Point Takings Clause. So I think the question remains whether speech claims will still do distinctive work for that agenda as they get bolder about directly centering “economic liberty”

Elon Musk’s X reveals investors in court filing A judge ordered Elon Musk’s X to reveal its shareholders, showing who helped with his $44 billion purchase of the social media platform formerly called Twitter.

New: We finally have an official list of the major investors in Elon Musk's X, after a judge ordered it unsealed in response to a motion by @silverman.bsky.social.

They include Jack Dorsey, a16z, a Saudi prince, and of course Sean "Diddy" Combs. Story by Trisha Thadani: wapo.st/3WYQaB5

Carolene Products through a mirror, basically

I think we’ll see/are seeing that “First Amendment Lochnerism” is no longer a gambit that matters to the right because they have the votes for ordinary Lochnerism. If anything, the synthesis the Court’s right wing was pushing last term was “no regulatory power *except* over ideological enemies”

LAist’s Josie Huang reaches $700,000 settlement with LA County Attorneys from RCFP and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher helped the journalist reach a settlement related to her unlawful arrest while covering a protest in 2020.

Last night, public radio journalist Josie Huang--represented by @reporterscommittee.bsky.social's @ktownsend.bsky.social & lawyers from Gibson Dunn-- reached a $700,000 settlement with LA County & Sheriff’s Department related to her violent and unlawful arrest while covering a protest in 2020