Litigation
The Institute defends the freedoms of speech and of the press through strategic litigation designed to have a meaningful impact on the law, on public policy, and on public opinion. We litigate cases that have the potential to establish important new legal principles concerning the system of free expression, to influence the practices of powerful actors in that system, and to raise public awareness about contemporary structural threats to that system. We focus especially on complex and challenging cases that relate to new technology, including new communications platforms, and we favor cases that afford us the opportunity to draw on insights generated by our research program.
Our litigation prioritizes cases in our three focus areas, Free Speech & Social Media, Transparency & Democracy, and Privacy & Surveillance.
Featured
National Association of Immigration Judges v. McHenry
A lawsuit challenging a government policy silencing immigration judges
LATEST NEWS & ANALYSIS
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Press Statement
Immigration Judges Challenge Justice Department Speech Policy
Sweeping policy prevents judges from speaking out about immigration law and policy
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Press Statement
Knight Institute and ACLU Sue Trump Administration for Prepublication Review Records
Suit seeks documents that would shed light on abuse of review system to influence public discourse in advance of upcoming election
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Press Statement
Knight Institute Reacts to Ruling in U.S. v. Bolton
Welcomes rejection of prior restraint but says other aspects of ruling raise concern
Our Docket
Showing 1–10 of 33
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Lawsuit
ACLU v. CIA & Knight Institute v. DOD
Three FOIA lawsuits seeking records related to the government censorship system of "prepublication review"
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Lawsuit
Campaign for Accountability v. DOJ
A FOIA lawsuit seeking proactive disclosure of the Office of Legal Counsel’s secret legal opinions
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Lawsuit
In re Opinions & Orders of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
A motion asserting a right of access to opinions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
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Amicus Brief
Campbell v. Reisch
A lawsuit challenging a state representative’s blocking of a critic on Twitter
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Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. DHS
A FOIA lawsuit seeking records on ideological screening at the border
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Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. Trump
A second lawsuit challenging President Trump’s blocking of critics on Twitter
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Lawsuit
Freedom of the Press Foundation v. DOJ
A FOIA lawsuit for records concerning the surveillance of journalists
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Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. Trump
A lawsuit challenging President Trump's blocking of critics on Twitter