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
Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York v. USDA
A case challenging USDA’s purge of climate-related webpages.
LATEST NEWS & ANALYSIS
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Press Statement
AAUP, Middle East Studies Association, Knight Institute Sue Over Trump Policy of Arresting and Threatening to Deport Students and Faculty for Lawful Speech
Policy has created “climate of fear and repression” on campuses around the country, groups say
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Press Statement
Farmers and Advocates Seek Preliminary Injunction Requiring USDA to Restore Purged Climate Webpages
Farmers have been stripped of vital digital resources due to the Trump Administration’s climate webpage purge, motion seeks to restore access and prevent additional webpage removals
Our Docket
Showing 51–60 of 79
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Amicus Brief
City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising of Austin, Inc.
A Supreme Court case challenging a city sign code that permits on-premises but not off-premises signs to be digitized.
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FOIA Lawsuit
Knight Institute v. DHS
A FOIA lawsuit seeking records relating to searches of electronic devices at the U.S. border
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Lawsuit
ACLU v. United States
A motion asserting a right of access to opinions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
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Amicus Brief
United States v. Abu Zubaydah
A Supreme Court case in which the government has invoked the state secrets privilege over testimony about the torture of Abu Zubaydah
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FOIA Lawsuit
Knight Institute and Committee to Protect Journalists v. CIA
A FOIA lawsuit for records concerning the U.S. government's "duty to warn" journalist Jamal Khashoggi
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FOIA Lawsuit
Francis v. DOJ
A FOIA lawsuit seeking disclosure of Office of Legal Counsel opinions issued over 25 years ago
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FOIA 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. Paxton
A lawsuit challenging Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s blocking of critics on Twitter
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Amicus Brief
Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta
Two Supreme Court cases challenging a California law that compels the disclosure of charitable organizations’ donor information