Ramya Krishnan
Staff Attorney

Ramya Krishnan is a staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute and a lecturer in law at Columbia Law School. Her litigation focuses on issues related to government transparency, protest, privacy, and social media. She also supervises the Knight Institute’s externship program with Columbia Law School.
Krishnan has been at the forefront of litigation challenging “prepublication review,” a far-reaching censorship system that prohibits millions of former public servants from writing or speaking about their government service without first obtaining the government’s approval. She is lead counsel on National Association of Immigration Judges v. McHenry, a lawsuit challenging government policies gagging the nation’s immigration judges. She has helped steer advocacy efforts calling on Facebook to create a “safe harbor” for digital journalism and research focused on its platform. She has also authored amicus briefs defending state privacy laws from First Amendment challenge, challenging retaliatory deportations against immigrant activists, and supporting the right of state contractors to engage in BDS boycotts.
Krishnan joined the Knight Institute as its inaugural legal fellow. She previously worked at Australia’s Attorney-General’s Department, where she litigated several high-profile constitutional and administrative law cases, including in the High Court of Australia. From 2013-2014, she served as law clerk for the Hon. Robert Beech Jones of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
Krishnan holds a B.A. and LL.B. (First Class Honors) from the University of Sydney, where she served as an editor of the Sydney Law Review, and an LL.M. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Raymond J. Baer Scholar. She has been published or quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, The Intercept, Columbia Journalism Review, and Just Security.
Contact
Selected Projects
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Edgar v. Haines
A lawsuit challenging the government's system of "prepublication review"
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National Association of Immigration Judges v. Neal
A lawsuit challenging a government policy silencing immigration judges
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ACA Connects v. Frey
A lawsuit challenging Maine’s broadband internet privacy law
Selected Work
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Analysis
Clearview AI’s First Amendment Theory Threatens Privacy—and Free Speech, Too
Slate
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Analysis
We May Never See John Bolton's Book
The New York Times
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Analysis
Report Reveals New Details About DOJ's Seizing of AP Phone Records
Columbia Journalism Review
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Analysis
Immigrants' First Amendment Rights at Stake as the Second Circuit Hears Ragbir Case
Just Security
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Analysis
Comey's Book and Prepublication Review
Just Security

Contact
Selected Projects
-
Edgar v. Haines
A lawsuit challenging the government's system of "prepublication review"
-
National Association of Immigration Judges v. Neal
A lawsuit challenging a government policy silencing immigration judges
-
ACA Connects v. Frey
A lawsuit challenging Maine’s broadband internet privacy law
Writings & Appearances
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Quick Take
Why Republican Attorneys General are Wrong About Constitutionality of Proposed SEC Climate Rules
Knight Institute, legal scholars argue First Amendment should be no obstacle to rules
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Essays and Scholarship
How the Biden Administration and Congress Can Fix Prepublication Review: A Roadmap for Reform
Prepublication review is a sweeping and broken system in need of repair
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Essays and Scholarship
A Safe Harbor for Platform Research
Knight Institute policy paper proposes legal protection for certain research and newsgathering projects focused on platforms
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Deep Dive
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Facebook?
Start with Congress enabling more research and journalism focused on social media platforms