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
Coalition for Independent Technology Research v. Rubio
A challenge to an immigration policy targeting tech researchers and online safety workers
LATEST NEWS & ANALYSIS
-
Press Statement
Legal Organizations Across Ideologies Urge Appeals Court to Uphold Block on President Trump’s Unconstitutional Attacks on Harvard
Last year, a federal court blocked the Trump administration’s efforts at a hostile ideological takeover of Harvard University
-
Press Statement
Public Needs Greater Transparency Into How Generative AI Systems Are Built
Knight Institute urges Ninth Circuit to reject xAI’s bid to block California law requiring disclosures about generative AI training data
-
Press Statement
Federal Court Suspends Trump Immigration Policy Targeting Technology Researchers
Court finds policy likely violates the First Amendment by targeting protected research and advocacy based on viewpoint
Our Docket
Showing 31–40 of 97
-
FOIA Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. Department of Education
A FOIA lawsuit seeking disclosure of Department of Education guidance to universities regarding their Title VI obligations.
-
Amicus Brief
United States v. Kamaldoss
A Second Circuit case addressing warrantless cellphone searches at the border
-
Amicus Brief
University of Maryland Students for Justice in Palestine v. University of Maryland
A case challenging a public university’s blanket ban on expressive gatherings on October 7.
-
Amicus Brief
United States v. Alisigwe
A Second Circuit case addressing warrantless cellphone searches at the border
-
FOIA Lawsuit
Campaign for Accountability v. DOJ
A FOIA lawsuit seeking proactive disclosure of the Office of Legal Counsel’s secret legal opinions
-
Amicus Brief
Armendariz v. City of Colorado Springs
A case challenging broad police searches of the digital devices of housing-rights advocates
-
Amicus Brief
Iowa v. Securities Exchange Commission
Litigation challenging the SEC’s climate disclosure rule
-
Amicus Brief
Lindke v. Freed
A Sixth circuit case addressing the application of the First Amendment to government officials’ social media accounts
-
Lawsuit
A.B.O. Comix v. San Mateo County
A lawsuit challenging the digitization and destruction of mail in San Mateo County’s jails
-
Amicus Brief
Alario v. Knudsen
A Ninth Circuit appeal addressing a challenge to Montana’s TikTok ban.